A Legend, Begins With a Dream
by Currant
Summary: Massive AU - Certain circumstances leads Ash to be born and raised in the Town of Rota. With a fierce yet loyal Larvitar by his side, Ash sets off on his journey to reach for his dreams: become the strongest trainer and strongest aura guardian. Realistic progression in strength and character development. Slightly smarter Ash. Rated T due to violence and mature themes.
1. Chapter 1: Trainer and Guardian

**Chapter 1: Trainer and Guardian**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon! This story is not made for nor does it make me any profit whatsoever in any shape or form. The story is made purely for entertainment purposes in the form of reading and enjoying what will hopefully be a good piece of literature.**

**I'm re-uploading this fic and will be focusing on this fic as I find it the most relaxing and enjoyable.**

**A few points I want to get over with right from the get-go:**

**1) Ash will not be catching that many Pokémon, certainly nowhere near the amount he has in the anime. This is mainly because I want to give the Pokémon their own individual personalities (No Poke speech unless the Pokémon can use telepathy) and develop their abilities/character and not have to go through the hassle of trying to rotate them so that they all get some screen time. Note: He will NOT have any legendary Pokémon! He may befriend a few here and there but he will not capture any! His team will be made of Pokémon you can catch in various regions but why some are found in Kanto in some way will be explained as the story goes on. I will not be putting Hoenn or Sinnoh Pokémon in Kanto btw or something ridiculous like that unless some outside force actually put those Pokémon in a non-native region.**

**2) This story is an massive AU (Alternate Universe) and based in the anime world. The only element of the games that will be in this story is the use of TM's to teach moves. World building is necessary in this case especially since the concept of aura is so vague in canon.**

**3) Yes, Ash will be an aura guardian but this in no way makes him special since it's not something that's going to be rare in this story. If you wish to know how aura will work in detail in this story then check out the "Aura Manipulation" power wiki page by searching it on google or just read the story and find out as I reveal it.**

**4) Note this story will not be focused on the romance between Ash and Cynthia who I have de-aged a bit. This is an adventure story, filled with action with a touch of romance once character development happens.**

**5) This story will be darker compared to the anime hence the T rating. It will consist of violence (won't be too graphic) along with mature themes. I'll update rating if I decide to add lemons in the future but this is undetermined.**

**6) A final thing I wanted to mention is that Ash will be starting his journey when he's 15 and not 10. I always found that part of the anime just so unbelievable even for a cartoon since who in hell sends a 10-year-old kid into the wild to travel the world and catch Pokémon? The reason for the age of 15 is so that kids are somewhat mature and are given basic survival training and knowledge so that they are prepared for the journey ahead.**

**Well, with that out of the way…**

**Let the story begin!**

**This chapter has been beta read by Hybrid of Fate**

* * *

A cool crisp breeze flew across the calm and cold waters of a sparkling lake. The fresh air brushed against the feathers of the Pidgey flying above the lake, making them coo at the sensation. They made their way towards the cluster of houses with red roofs and grey stone walls, on top of which their nests lay.

In one of the numerous houses, a young teen groaned under his covers wishing for the irritating noise of what he hazily realized was his alarm clock to end. Bringing one hand out from under the covers, he tried to smack the alarm clock only to miss for the first few tries before he finally got it. However, the time it took to turn it off caused his sleep to leave him so he managed to get out from under the covers and take a nice big stretch and yawn, noting that it was 6:00 a.m.

Looking out from his window, the teen let the cool air caress his face causing his messy raven black hair to wave with the wind. His crimson red eyes scanned the surrounding grey stone buildings and the different Pokémon either moving on the streets, flying in the air, playing with people – early risers - or just resting here and there.

'It's my birthday and graduation day!'

The boy stumbled out of his bed in his haste and made his way out of his room that was half messy with papers lying here and there near a computer on a wooden study table along with large bean bag cushions laying here and there and a few Pokémon posters hanging on the walls.

He rushed towards the washroom at the end of the hall and quickly began going through his morning rituals at a rapid pace. By the time he was done, the teen was now wearing a plain red shirt with blue jeans. He ran down the wooden stairs and made his way to the kitchen and dining room on the left side of the stairway.

The moment he walked in he saw his mom, a woman with auburn hair tied into a ponytail wearing a pink blouse and purple knee-length skirt with a white apron on top humming away a tune while making breakfast in front of the stove.

She turned towards the sound of footsteps she heard. "Oh, Good morning and happy birthday Ash!"

Ash gave his mom a big smile in response to her very cheery and happy voice. "Good morning mom! Thanks!" He sat down on the wooden chair with leather seats at the dining table made of limestone.

"You're up quite early. Excited for your birthday or your graduation?"

"Both! I can't wait to see what Pokémon I connect within the Forest of Harmony!"

"I'm sure you'll find the perfect one for you. I have already packed lots of food for you for the exam and I have a birthday surprise for you once you're done the exam."

Ash's eyes gleamed with sparkles. "A surprise?! What is it?!"

"If I tell you now it won't be a surprise, will it?" Delia giggled at her son's enthusiasm. Despite just turning fifteen, he still acted like a hyper kid sometimes. "So, have you decided on what region you'll be traveling to first?"

Ash paused for a few moments. He had a choice on traveling to any region of his choice to begin his journey thanks to his school, Rota Academy and he had been trying to decide which region he wanted to start his journey on first. "I thought about it a lot and I think Kanto will be the place I start at."

"Kanto is wonderful region. You'll meet many wonderful Pokémon and have a great time. It's a great place for you to start your journey." Delia said as she turned off the stove and filled two plates with delicious omelets. Placing the plates along with a bowl of apple-cinnamon flavoured oatmeal and a glass of pure orange juice on the table, she sat in front of Ash.

Ash began eating and nearly opened his mouth to reply while chewing but remembered the numerous times her mom scolded him about manners so he quickly chewed and swallowed before talking. "I can't wait!"

Delia gave a soft smile at her son's enthusiasm and ate her breakfast as well. "So, which city will you be going to first?"

"Probably Pewter City since it's the closest."

"How many of the students in your class plan on going on a journey?"

"I think only five to six but they are going to different regions. The rest are staying the academy to train their aura."

"I see. So, you will be traveling alone?" Delia asked with worry.

Ash was easily able to pick up on his mom's worried tone. "Don't worry mom, I can take care of myself! I know all the survival skills they taught us! I'll also make sure to give you a call every time I'm in a town."

Delia smiled. "You better otherwise you'll be in big trouble young man if I don't hear from you for too long."

Ash shivered a bit. Somehow, that tone and the innocent looking smile scared him more than any of the powerful looking Pokémon in the palace ever did. It sent a cold feeling down his spine, tingling his body in a very frightening way. "I-I will."

"Great!" Delia oh-so joyfully replied knowing her son got the message loud and clear.

She then got up and took her and Ash's empty plate as they just finished their breakfast and placed it in the sink. "Well, its time for you to go Ashy. You don't want to be late for your last day at the academy. Your bag is by the door."

Ash quickly got up from his seat and washed his hands at the sink before running towards the door. "Thanks, mom!"

He quickly put on a pair of black and red sneakers and grabbed his backpack before opening the door and running out.

"Take care!"

"I will!"

Running through the streets that were slowly getting filled with more and more people and Pokémon, Ash waved at a couple of his neighbors and took great joy in watching the numerous Pokémon.

A soft gentle wind blew on his face as he saw the academy a few blocks away, towering over all of the houses and small buildings surrounding it. The school was a massive dome-shaped structure made of a greenish-gray colored stone with a red roof, making it a bit unique especially with it being around seven stories in height. The building was a bit separated from all of the other buildings and that was mainly because of the large training grounds and battlegrounds located behind the building along with a big Pokémon care center.

When Ash finally stood in front of the academy, he sighed as he looked at the place where he not only learned all about Pokémon but all about aura and the incredible history of the Pokémon world which many people were oblivious too.

The academy had been created since the birth of the Town of Rota and it had since been the core place where some of the greatest aura guardians in history had been raised and taught not only about the wonders of aura but the wonders of Pokémon as well. Even some guardians had grown to become world renowned Pokémon trainers as well.

Looking at the building, Ash could feel his body tingling as he imagined himself standing in a large stadium with his partner Pokémon standing in front of him – who he imagined would be some fearsome dragon type.

'Use Hyper Beam.' He commanded in his head and imagined a large beam of black and purple colored energy being fired from his Pokémon.

'The enemy Pokémon is unable to battle! Ash Ketchum wins the match and has won the title of Pokémon Master!'

Ash imagined his mom coming up being so proud of him and his friends cheering for him.

His imagination then took a turn as he found himself in the middle of a battle stadium in the Cameran Palace where aura guardians tend to fight each other to determine their strength. Facing against the highest-ranking aura guardians from the Palace known as Templars. He channeled his aura into his body causing it to take an unearthly rich golden glow.

Gathering the power from within his core to his hands, they each formed individual balls of light which glowed with the intensity of a miniature sun. Ash raised his hands in front of him to, ready to fire his attack at the templar who was covered in a crimson cloak of energy, hugging the man's blue clothed body.

"Ash…"

He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins and his muscles tightening with excitement as he saw his second and final goal within his grasp. His mouth dries yet salivating at the prospect of his coveted dream coming true.

"Ash?"

With a will of fire burning in his eyes, he let his attack loose, releasing a beam of golden energy towards his opponent.

"Ash!"

A bright white light filled his eyes.

"ASH!"

"Huh?! What?!" Ash frantically looked around, surprised by the loud voice that rang in his ear.

"Daydreaming again? Really?"

Ash turned to his right and saw a teen wearing black jeans, a light blue shirt, and red and white sneakers. However, the most prominent features were his vibrant red hair that went to his shoulders, his hazelnut colored eyes, and a small amused smirk.

"Kace! You're here early too?"

"Of course. It's the graduation exams after all. I'm going to ace everything and find the strongest Pokémon in the forest."

"As if! I'm going to get the strongest Pokémon and beat you!" Ash heatedly replied a stark contrast to Kace's calm and collected tone.

"You lost to me most of the time we sparred."

"That's in the past! I'm going to get so strong on this journey that you'll be eating my dust!"

"I doubt it but we'll see."

"Hmph! I'm going to make you eat your words!"

The two rivals walked through the tall open metallic gate, stepping through a shimmering blue barrier surrounding the academy that faded once they passed through. The two walked down a stone walkway with trees, bushes, and flowers on both sides, making it seem as if they were walking through a forest. A short while later the two found themselves in front of a large open stone door.

Walking through, the two made their way through a sight which would have astounded normal people but having studied at this academy since they were six, it didn't amaze them or any of the other students. Big statues of different Pokémon and people stood around the perimeter of the room, just beside the entrance to hallways with one massive statue standing in the center of the circular room. There were numerous strange carvings on the walls and the floor of the room which looked like symbols.

Ash and Kace ignored all of this having seen it far too often and being knowledgeable about who each of the stone statues was and what the symbols on the ground meant. Walking past the main statue of Sir Aaron and his partner Lucario in the center, the two made their way towards the exit at the back which led to the garden of the academy.

Ash gazed at one particular set of statues of a man and a Nidoking through the corner of this eyes causing his heart to feel heavy for a moment before looking away.

Stepping past the stone pillars, the two students gazed at the rather plain flat field of grass with a large pool of water at the far end of it along. There were numerous bushes of flowers and small trees here and there along with large green crystals that were scattered across the field, seemingly coming out of the ground. The field itself was located in the center of the school and hence was surrounded by hallways that led there and stone pillars.

They made their way towards the center of the garden where they saw a man wearing black pants, a blue jacket that went below his waist and a blue sharp ovular shaped bowler hat with the Cameran Palace symbol on the front of the hat. The symbol itself was a yellow circle being almost completely surrounded by a yellow shape that was part circular since the right side had two triangles pointed outward that were connected to the shape.

Beside him was his partner Lucario, the Aura Pokémon.

"Greetings, Ash. Kace."

"Hey, Sir Riley."

"Good morning Sir Riley."

"I should have expected you two to be the first ones to class today. Are you confident you'll be able to pass the exams? Not everyone does and end up staying a year longer."

"Of course, I'm going to pass! I trained hard and I'm going to give it my all!" Ash's eyes held fierce determination.

Kace snorted. "Given how you end up rushing head first into everything, I doubt you'll pass the connection test or even the hand-to-hand combat test."

"What was that!"

"Have you become deaf?" Kace asked in an innocent tone, which was betrayed by the amused smirk his face held.

The two glared at each other with their competitive fire burning within them.

"Calm down you two. Save your energy. Since everyone will be arriving soon, get started on your morning training. We will be beginning the examination right away once everyone is done."

Ash and Kace looked at Riley and nodded before giving a small "Hmph!" to each other and walking away to do their individual training.

Ash found a spot near a small tree to begin the first part of his regular day to day training to help strengthen his overall aura by strengthening each individual layer of the seven layers that made up his aura. He set his backpack beside him and began.

The first step was to strengthen his Muladhara which is the root of his aura, located within the base of the spine. He balanced himself on his left foot while his right foot rested on top of his left one with his before placing the palms of his hands together in front of his chest and imagining a red swirl of energy located within him at the base of his spine.

Ash's breathing calmed with every breath as he imagined this red swirl of energy connected with the earth beneath his feet causing his muscles to stiffen slightly and become firm and rigid as his body became completely unmoving except for the small movements of his chest. Anyone with training in aura would have seen how his body was surrounded by a thin red glow.

Ash stayed like this for the next ten minutes, switching which leg he was balanced on at the five-minute mark, before finally unable to keep the focus on his Muladhara and relaxing his body while his breathing became a bit heavy.

"I'm getting better at this," Ash said to himself before proceeding to the next part of this training. After Muladhara came Svadhisthana which was the second layer of one's aura located above the pubic bone and under the navel. This layer was mainly strengthened through the use of one's creative thinking whether it be something like cooking, baking or gardening where one is creating something using raw resources or one was using their mind to solve a problem or create a drawing or painting.

So, Ash took out a blank piece of paper from his backpack and a pencil before beginning to draw whatever came to his mind which at this point in time was a Pidgey he had seen this morning. During the time he began to feel the Svadhisthana under his naval and channeled it, imagining an orange ball of swirling energy. He also thought of the Pidgey he had seen and his hand began to draw.

Around ten minutes, later he had finished and the faint orange glow visible only to other aura users faded. He looked at his drawing and immediately sweatdropped.

"Why are my drawings so bad?!" he cried to himself before crumpling the paper and stuffing it inside his backpack, not wanting to see the abysmal representation of a Pidgey.

He moved on and brought out a neatly folded paper from the side pocket of his backpack and opened it, reading the list of exercises. Once he did so, he began the third and second last part of his training which was a mixture of training his Muladhara and his Manipura which was the third aura located within solar plexus, this aura dealt with one's determination to reach their goals, desires, and intentions.

By setting himself a goal of what exercises he wanted to complete with the number of sets and reps, Ash would try to reach this goal no matter what and by doing so he would automatically strengthen his Manipura. And by including the physical training, it would help enhance his Muladhara as well since it dealt with the foundation of one's being hence it being known as the root of one's aura. Because of this, having a strong and balanced physical body through exercising helped strengthen it.

Of course, every layer of one's aura could be strengthened if it was brought out as energy and used to perform amazing feats but that was a much more advanced level of training which Ash had not reached yet.

Ash immediately began the physical portion of his training which was something he excels at, not because of any notable physical qualities but because of the sheer determination he tackled the exercises with which in turn helped him become quite good physically for a fifteen-year-old boy.

Getting into a proper push-up position, with his back being straight and his arms being shoulder length apart and his elbows tucked in, he began going for his goal of doing a total of one hundred and twenty push-ups, two hundred squats, one hundred lunges, eighty burpees, and a variation of different core exercises. These were all split up into four sets of an equal amount of reps.

Ash went through each exercise and while it got more and more difficult as each set went by, he still plowed through, making sure to complete every rep before moving on to the next exercise. By the end of it, he was panting heavily, his shirt was sweaty as hell, and he was lying on his back after he had finished doing the last rep of his core exercise.

"Woohoo. I did it." Ash quietly said to himself, not able to muster the energy to express the joy he always felt when he reached goals he set for himself. He could only imagine the joy he would feel once he became the strongest trainer in the world and became a Prime Templar of the Cameran Palace that stood above all other Templars.

After taking a five-minute break to catch his breath and slow down his heart rate, Ash decided to get to the last portion of his training which focused on the last and final layer of aura known as Sahasrara which focused on the connection of one's spirit to everything around it to obtain a higher consciousness.

He skipped past the other aura's known as Anahata, Vishuddha, and Ajna because they were mainly strengthened by day to day activities. Of course, like all the other layer of one's aura, they could be trained by actually bringing them out and physically using that energy to do some amazing feats but that was only possible if said person was more in tune with that layer of their aura then the other layers.

Anahata is derived on one's ability to unconditionally love others, their compassion, their joy, and their ability to overcome hurt thus being appropriately located directly in the heart. Vishuddha is associated with one's ability to speak the truth, express ideas and be in tune with both one's inner and outer vibrations. This aura is located directly in the throat and its strength is influenced by how much one's other layers of aura have been trained. The second last layer is Ajna which is associated with intuition, clarity, and self-awareness and is located in the middle of the forehead. Strengthening Ajna also strengthens the mind, leading to the development of psychic abilities.

For Ash, he was in harmony with the yellow layer of Manipura while also having a close connection with Muladhara although not as close as Manipura. He was still not at the point of being able to bring the energy residing within that layer of his aura but he was getting close. Especially since he could use his aura to form abilities such as an Aura Sphere as it was much easier than trying to pull out the very specific energy within one layer of seven layers. Manipulating the entire aura of one's self is much easier since very little concentration is required to bring it out – if the person has the correct knowledge of aura and proper training – and its easier to manipulate compared to a specific layer which has different properties and has different requirements to bring it out.

So, with that in mind, Ash got into a seated lotus position and began meditating. While many people considered meditation to be a state when one's mind was completely blank, that was not how meditation worked. It was extremely difficult to reach a state of blankness since the human mind was always thinking of something. The true goal of meditation for the majority of people was to catch when one's mind wandered into random thoughts and bring it back to one peaceful thought such as one's breathing. Reaching a state of a blank mind was extremely difficult and something only people that were mainly in tune with the Sahasrara layer and Ajna layer were capable of.

Ash managed to meditate for about ten minutes, with his mind wandering to random thoughts about every three seconds which was bad by many standards but considering his nature, and the fact that he was more in tune with Manipura and Muladhara, it was to be expected. Ash considered ten minutes to be enough because he usually found it hard to stay completely still any longer.

Seeing that he was done, he decided to walk back where Sir Riley was, idly noting how many of the other students who had probably arrived a few minutes after he began training were just about finished up as well. He sat on the grass a couple feet in front of Sir Riley, beside a tired Kace who was breathing heavily.

"So…how did your training go?"

"Very well. I can easily bring out my Vishuddha and my Ajna. Soon, I'll be able to perform different techniques too."

"Show off," Ash grumbled causing Kace to give him the smirk that caused the fire within him to burn. 'Even if you have natural talent, I'm going to surpass you. Then I'm to surpass…_him_…and every other aura guardian to have ever existed!'

"You're doing very well Kace. It seems you have inherited your father's natural talent for manipulating Vishuddha and Ajna." Kace gave a small nod to Sir Riley. The teacher saw the fire in Ash's eyes and it reminded him of his own teacher, a man with shoulder-length raven-hair and fierce crimson eyes with a scar across his left cheek. "Ash…" said boy looked at him. "Keep pushing yourself this hard and you'll become one heck of a guardian."

"Thanks, Sir Riley!" Ash exclaimed, happy his teacher had faith in him. Although, Riley always encouraged all his students so it wasn't much different from the usual.

Riley smiled at Ash's enthusiasm. He didn't know if Ash was truly like his father (Ash's father) but he did hold a lot of determination and an uncanny resemblance to the man. It would take him far but just how far remained to be seen. Riley pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind as he saw all of the students had now finished with their training and were now sitting down in front of him.

"Good morning everyone!"

"Good morning Sir Riley!" The class responded at once.

"Now that everyone is here, the examinations will be beginning right away. I hope you all have studied and trained hard as these examinations are very difficult to pass. Let's go over in what order your exams will be taking place. First will come to the written exam where you all will be tested on your knowledge of aura, our history, Pokémon, math, and science. All of you had two months to prepare and study for this so I hope everyone had used this time wisely and studied." Riley said, noting how there were a few nervous laughs among his class. No doubt some students procrastinated and left studying to the last minute.

"Second will come to your combat test where each one of you will show your hand-to-hand combat training skills against a specified instructor along with showing your capabilities to perform an Aura Sphere and an Aura shield along with Aura Concealment. You need to be able to perform all three basic aura abilities along with being passed by your instructor in hand-to-hand combat to pass this portion of the exam."

"And the final portion of your exam will take place at 2:00 p.m. sharp after lunchtime at the Forest of Harmony. This is where you will get your first Pokémon partner through the use of an Aura bond which you all know already how to perform. Keep in mind that the forest is watched by Paladins and a few Templars to make sure you and the Pokémon don't get hurt. Once you bond with your Pokémon and they decide they wish to go with you, come back to the entrance where you entered the forest. Paladin Vida will heal any injuries and then the next day we will give you your results. Understood?"

Everyone nodded so Riley then brought out a stack of papers from his brown bag that he had beside him and handed them out based on the name of the person written on top. Once they were all handed out he returned back to his position in front of the group and motioned everyone to get up.

"Now the written test will begin so please make your way to the designated room and sit at your assigned seat. You will have two hours to complete it and remember, _no cheating._ We will be watching you so don't even try to attempt it."

Ash and everyone else nodded, knowing full well that cheating was not only plain stupid but just not worth the few extra points it may give you compared to the risk of failing the whole exam and then being held back. It helped that they drilled this into their heads throughout the years they spent studying here.

The class began making their way towards the designated classroom, walking through the grassy field and into one of the many hallways that surrounded this training field. As they were walking a young teenage girl with shoulder length brown hair stood beside Ash.

"Did you study enough for this?"

Ash looked towards his left and instantly recognize the warm brown eyes of his friend Green who always had a very happy and bubbly attitude but she could be quite the devil under the innocent look. Although at this moment, her eyes and face only showed nervousness as she fiddled with her green blouse that went well with her white pants.

"Well, I did study, bit by bit every day. I think I have everything in my head ready to go for at least a pass."

"I hate written exams. I always forget everything the moment I walk in the classroom."

Ash chuckled somewhat nervously. "Same here. Well, we're here. Good luck Green."

"You too Ash."

The two students walked in last, behind the rest of their classmates, handing the sheet of paper they were given to one of the two instructors standing at the door. The classroom was fairly large since it was basically a lecture hall for times when classes combined for a single lesson or for exams in this case. There were around eight curved rows of a single smooth mahogany desk and bench. Each desk had several numbers placed on top, evenly spaced apart with different colored exams underneath it.

Sitting at his assigned seat, Ash looked at the head instructor who had waited until everyone was settled. The man was an imposing individual with shoulder length well kept red hair, a thin goatee and hardened hazelnut colored eyes. Ash instantly recognized the man clad in brown boots, black pants, a blue vest with the Cameran Palace aura symbol on the chest and a dark red cape as Kace's father, Titus.

'Wow, who knew Kace's dad would be supervising this part of the exam. I doubt anyone will even think of cheating now,' thought Ash. 'I can't wait to get started on my journey. I'm going to get so strong, I'll defeat everyone in Cameran Palace! I'm going to surpass you, dad!'

"Listen up! I'm only going to say this once!" Everyone gave Titus their undivided attention. "This exam will test you on the culmination of everything you all have been taught his past year, particularly focusing on your knowledge of the workings of aura. The exam will be divided into fifty multiple choices, ten fill-in-the-blanks, and five short answers. You will have two hours to complete this exam and should you need to go to the bathroom, raise your hand and one of the instructors will escort you. Oh and…**don't even think of cheating**." The class shivered as fear crawled up all their spines at the rumbling tone of the last few words that reverberated throughout the hall. "Begin."

With that said, a projection of a countdown timer on the whiteboard projector screen appeared, starting at two hours.

All of the students filled out the information on the top page consisting of their name, signature and personal student number.

Ash quickly turned to the first page which consisted of five multiple choice questions and he began answering them. Bit by bit, time went by and he was done the fifty-multiple choice by the time the half an hour mark went by. There were a few questions that were quite tricky, with just one small word that if people missed, it would make them get the whole question wrong. He had followed his teacher's advice and made sure to read through each question very carefully. While he did not know the answer to around ten questions, he just ruled out all the answers he thought were not the right one and picked the best one out of the options he had left. The multiple choice mainly consisted of their knowledge of aura, science, and math and went into very specific detail.

He also ignored all of the instructors walking around, making sure no one cheated.

After that came in the fill in the blanks which consisted of knowing terms and a few dates for various science topics and history respectively. Those had been a bit easier than the multiple choice but it had been hard remembering the specific terms as they felt right on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't just quite get it out.

Ash looked at the time and saw that he had one hour left so he quickly moved onto the short answer questions which consisted of Pokémon training knowledge, two key questions about their history, an explanation question on aura, and a mathematics problem-solving question that also required quite a bit of knowledge on various science topics as well. The last question had taken him the longest since math had never been his strong suit but by the time he was done, he had fifteen minutes left.

Using this time, he went over his test making a few corrections and also second-guessing some of his answers but he ended up going with his original decision since he had learned from experience that second-guessing so many answers only end up bad for you.

***RING***

"Pens and Pencils down! Stay seated until all your exams have been collected!" ordered Titus.

Once all their tests had been collected, Ash walked out of the room with his class and they made their way towards the battleground where Pokémon battles and aura user battles took place.

"How do you think you did Ash?" asked Green as she beside him and Kace.

"I'm going to pass. I struggled on some of those questions but I knew a good chunk of them." Said Ash confidently.

"I wish I could be as confident as you," Green mumbled but Ash didn't hear it. "How about you Kace? How did you do?"

"Aced it."

"Mr. Know It All," Ash grumbled.

Kace gave Ash an amused smirk. "Better to be smart than an idiot."

"Who are you calling an idiot!" Ash practically shouted.

"**Quiet.**" Came the familiar voice of Titus who was walking behind the group of students, causing everyone to go silent.

A short while later, the students finally entered the battle arena of the school which was divided into two sides usually with a visible blue barrier in the middle but this time there was no barrier. One side was specifically designed to handle Aura user combat with the other being for Pokémon battles. There were six fields on each side, each housing a very special barrier to prevent any attack from going out of the battlefield limits and to protect trainers in Pokémon battles.

There were aura users clad in the standard aura guardian outfit of blue boots, grey pants and shirt with a blue vest on top, a black cape, blue gloves and a hat with the Cameran Palace symbol on it, each stationed on a field.

"Hello everyone!" Came the very cheery voice of a woman with brown hair tied into a ponytail, joy-filled black eyes and a smile that could light up the entire room. She seemed to be in her early thirties and wore a one-piece black dress that went down to her ankles. The dress had white frills on the waist and end of the dress along with a white bow tie on the chest area. "I'll be the supervisor for the combat part of the graduation exams. Your name will be announced and the battlefield number your exam will be taking place on so make sure to pay attention! Remember it's up to me and the individual instructors whether or not you pass this portion of the exams so make sure to give it your all!"

Ash nodded and was nearly bouncing in excitement at this part of the exam. He had trained very hard and knew he was ready. He planned on giving it his all just like he did with everything.

Ash became disappointed when his name was not called among the first twelve students being tested but he guessed he would just pass the time by watching how they would do. More specifically, how Kace and Green would do considering they were being tested at this very moment.

Kace seemed quite exceptional at hand-to-hand combat, especially considering his skinnier body. His style revolved around dodging attacks smoothly before using quick strikes, even adding some faint attacks in the process. Kace had managed to hold his own against the instructor for five minutes who was looking quite impressed.

Green, on the other hand, struggled quite a bit more since she often was indecisive on whether she should dodge her opponent's attack or block it and more often than not, relied on her legs for her attacks quite opposite of most people who relied on their fists. Regardless she did quite well, managing to last two minutes against the instructor.

Afterwards, the two demonstrated their ability to perform the three basic aura abilities with Kace excelling in concealing his aura and the Aura Shield ability while lacking power in the offensive ability. Green's Aura Concealment was much stronger than her other abilities.

After they were done, the two walked off the battlefield towards him and the rest of the students that had been sitting on nearby benches.

"Awesome job guys!" Ash cheered.

"Did you expect anything less?" Kace replied, confidently.

"Thanks, Ash," Green said as she sat on the bench and wiped her sweat with a small napkin she grabbed from her pocket.

"Ash Ketchum! Report to field seven!"

Ash perked up and literally launched himself off the bench. "Yes! It's my turn now!"

"Good luck Ash." Green said with a smile.

"Thanks." Ash gave Kace a heated glare which the red-haired teen returned, silently sending the message that Ash better perform well.

Walking to the battlefield, Ash silently gazed at the other fighting sessions and ability demonstrations happening. He got even more fired up when he saw how well his class was doing. Stepping up to the instructor, Ash greeted the man with a small duck of his head as a sign of respect.

"Student ID please." Ash handed the man his student card. The instructor looked over it and marked some things on his clipboard before setting it down on the ground a few feet away. "This hand-to-hand combat training session will be for me to judge if you are capable of defending yourself. The longer you can last, the better but I will also be looking at your decision making, fighting style and how you approach me understood." Ash nodded his head. "Then, begin!"

Ash took his fighting stance, with his left arm bent exactly ninety degrees with its forearm facing the opponent while his right arm was completely straight and the right hand is open with the palm facing away from his body. His whole body was turned slightly towards the right while his legs were bent and spread out, a bit wider than shoulder width.

The instructor was in a fighting stance of his own with his legs being bent and shoulder width apart while his arms were crossed to form an 'X' with the palm of his hands facing the side.

The two engaged in a staring contest for a few moments before Ash decided to make the first move. He lunged towards his opponent at an incredible speed, much higher than normal human standards. He used the momentum of bringing his right arm forward along with running to try and land a powerful punch to the instructor's abdomen but it was quickly dodged with a mere back step. Using the opening, the instructor went for a kick to Ash's face.

Ash managed to bring his arms up for defense at the last second but the force behind the push made him stumble backwards for a few moments. This was all the instructor needed as he charged forward, not wanting to give Ash any breathing room. He went for a leg sweep but Ash managed to perform an awkward backflip.

The instructor smirked at this, impressed with the quick thinking.

Ash glared at the instructor while breathing a bit heavily. 'Dam the instructor is fighting a lot harder than all the other spars I had before against others. He's both faster and stronger than me so how can I win? I shouldn't block his attacks since I won't last too long but I can somewhat keep up with his speed. I guess I should try to use his own strength against him and try to make openings in his guard and then take the win.' This train of thought went through Ash's mind in a split second as he charged intending to carry out his plan.

The instructor was a bit surprised when Ash charged a mere second after landing from the back-flip since the majority of students spent a moment or two thinking out plans which always resulted in mark deductions. In real life, no one fighting will give you time to think and will take any advantage they get. Especially the Kasta…the aura users that used their powers for selfish desires and did not care who they hurt in the process.

The instructor shook his head from the thought and immediately started blocking Ash's strikes which did not hold as much power as his initial strike did at the beginning of the test but they were quick, nearing his own top speed but not quite there. As the blows continued, the instructor idly noted how Ash was mainly attacking in the form of punches.

Eventually, one punch came in which he noticed, Ash took a split second to perhaps put more power behind it and prepared to dodge it in order to use the opening. Ash analyzed the man's footwork and saw a slight pivot in the instructor's right leg – Ash's POV – to dodge his left-hand punch which was exactly what he wanted. Ash immediately stopped the punch in mid-air and drove his right hand into the side of the instructor's torso, landing on his ribs.

The instructor stumbled back a bit and tried to ignore the pain that came from the rather powerful jab. He was quite surprised that Ash had managed to trick him with a faint attack like that. He decided not to let his guard down and see how Ash could handle him if he fought full force. With his two years of experience as an aura guardian, nearing the rank of knight, he doubted it.

With that in mind, the instructor recovered from the attack and ran at full speed towards Ash, not allowing him to take in his small victory. He launched a barrage of punches and kicks causing Ash to block as many as he could but he ended up taking a few hits. Regardless, the instructor had been impressed with his reaction speed to his attacks and noted a slight flaw in his defense which if Ash had been aware of and fixed, his defense would have been nearly twice as good.

Ash got no time to catch his breath as lacking focus for even one second would have no doubt ended it for him given the forces he could feel behind the instructor's punches which seemed to have increased compared to earlier. Eventually, Ash decided to go for broke because he could barely keep up with the instructor's speed and he could not find any hole in his defense. When the instructor went for a kick on his abdomen, Ash caught the kick rather than deflecting it and then raised his foot, ready to kick the man in the abdomen with all his might.

However, the instructor quickly reacted, jumping off of his remaining free foot while simultaneously spinning in the air and spin kicking Ash in the side of the head with his heel.

Ash didn't know what happened as one second, he was readying for his strike, and the next his face was eating dirt while his vision was filled with black spots. He took a minute to recover his bearings and for his vision to clear up. Pushing himself off the ground but staying seated on the ground while leaning on his arms, Ash looked at the instructor who was looking at him with a smile.

"Well done Ash. You lasted four minutes against me and even managed to hold your own when I was fighting at my absolute best. You're something else."

Ash smiled as pride filled him at the words. Despite his disappointment at his defeat, Ash planned to use this as motivation to grow stronger. "Thank you!"

"Are you ready for the next portion of the test?"

"Yes."

"Ok then. First off, launch your most powerful Aura Sphere at me. After that make an Aura Shield and block my Aura Sphere. Last but not least, conceal your aura to the best of your abilities and will try to sense you."

Ash nodded his head and begun the first step. He stood with his legs shoulder-width apart and brought his hands together with the palms facing each other with four inches of space in between. Concentrating on bringing forth the power born from his soul – his aura – Ash began to imagine a rotating sphere of energy, moulding the energy he was bringing out into that shape. A rotating sphere of white energy formed in between his hands and he poured as much of his aura into it as he could without sacrificing all of his energy.

He then launched it towards the instructor who formed a flat rectangular shaped barrier made of white energy in front of him that was a bit taller than himself. The attack collided with the shield and pushed against it but the instructor held still although he was surprised at the power behind the attack. The sphere lasted for about three seconds before exploding, kicking up dust from the battlefield.

The dust began to clear and Ash could see a faint white light coming from the same direction as the instructor. Ash tensed and immediately put up an Aura Shield of his own but his being in an octagonal shape and not as big as the instructors. Analyzing the tests of all of the students before him had been helpful since he had seen the instructors launch an Aura Sphere at unexpected times during the aura ability test to see the student's reaction times.

The sphere collided with his shield and while it pushed him back a foot, Ash managed to hold his shield up until the Aura Sphere exploded under the strain, causing dust to once again be kicked up.

'That attack was powerful but I doubt it was the instructor's full power.' Said Ash knowing full well the instructors were holding back.

Once the dust settled the instructor looked at Ash with a blank look, not giving out his thoughts of being impressed with the teen. "Now try and conceal your aura."

Ash did so and concentrated, trying to pull his aura into his body and lock it in there. He could feel it being pulled in, albeit very slowly but it wasn't long before his concentration broke since the sensation of trying to conceal his aura sent a tingling sensation throughout his body. It just felt wrong to him which is why he often could barely accomplish this ability since it required precise control over one's aura.

The instructor then nodded at Ash. "Ok, this portion of your test is done. Go to Paladin Vida to be healed and wait until all students have been tested."

Ash nodded before making his way towards his rival Kace and his friend Green, both of whom were currently being treated by Paladin Vida who was the head instructor for this portion of the exam.

'I wonder how I did? Probably awesome!' Ash thought with a gleeful expression

"Nice job Ash! That was one heck of a fight!" Green cheerfully greeted, breaking Ash out of his thoughts.

"Good job not doing that bad."

"Hmph! I did better than you! I lasted four minutes!"

"And I lasted five."

Ash let loose a growl of frustration causing the woman healing the two to giggle. "Fierce rivals forever eh you two?" Ash simply grumbled something incoherent while Kace stayed silent with a smug look. "Oh, don't be like that you two. Remember that the time you lasted during the fight isn't all important. It's up to our evaluation of your fighting and decision making that counts."

"I know I'm definitely passing."

"Don't be so overconfident Ash. Even people who do well don't end up passing because of mistakes or faults we see that they can't."

Ash and company turned to see Titus walk towards them.

"Dad?"

"Kace, good work. We'll discuss your strengths and flaws after the exams are done." Titus replied in a serious tone leaving his son to simply nod. "Ash, you did a fantastic job as well. You may not have your father's raw talent but your sheer determination makes me think you'll surpass him one day."

Kace frowned at the compliments his father gave Ash.

Ash's eyes widened at the words. "Really?"

"Yes. Hard work can take you far, sometimes even farther than raw talent but those are rare cases which you may very well be. But that's in the future. I hope you don't mind me asking but what region do you plan on traveling to first?"

"Kanto." Ash replied not surprised by the polite and gentle tone of the man since he always acted like that with him while he was stricter and more unforgiving with others but he never told him why despite asking a couple times.

"I see, well if you pass the exams, make sure to watch your back during your travels in Kanto. Team Rocket have made their home base in Kanto and with the Kasta, we can't afford the manpower to take them down."

"I will."

Titus then went to conversing with Vida who was releasing a green wave of energy that was washing over Ash, healing his bruises and speeding up his aura generation so he would be at his full reserves by the time the hour was up.

Kace meanwhile had silently watched Titus conversing with Ash and looked at the two with a sharp gaze in his eyes.

Once all of the students had been tested, the instructors all stood in front of the group of students resting on the ground with Paladin Vida in front of the instructors.

"Great job everyone. With the combat portion of the exam over, you all are dismissed to go home, have lunch and get all the supplies you will need for the final portion of the exam. Remember, the final portion will take up three days and nights so I hope you all have prepared and gotten all the items we had recommended to you." All of the students nodded. "Make sure you all give it one hundred percent."

With those final words from Vida, the students got up, a few releasing some groans from how tired they felt despite being healed by Vida who was the foremost expert in Anahata and a doctor to boot.

Ash and Green walked beside each other and walked towards their homes – which were in the same general direction - after picking up their backpacks.

"So, how do you think you did?"

"Pretty well I think."

"I think so too. You know if this was a lying test, you would be guaranteed a pass with one hundred percent."

Green gave a smug smirk "Still mad about that prank?"

"You made me and Kace try to sneak in the staff room and put Laxatives in their food right before lunch! Seriously, how do you lie so well? We both thought that was a secret test!"

"It's a…_gift._" Green said quite over dramatically as she waved her arms in a circular motion as if throwing sparkles in the air.

Ash simply gave an annoyed sigh. He had to suffer through two weeks of detention for that. Worst of all, he had to spend it with Kace of all people.

The two then silently walked through the streets that were bustling with activity. The two occasionally greeted someone they knew or stopped to pet a Pokémon. They had to split off to their separate homes eventually and Ash went into a sprint since he was both starving and excited to tell his mom about what occurred in the exam so far.

Ash huffed as he finally arrived at the door to his home and rang the bell. Half a minute later, his mom opened the door.

"Ash, your back! How did the first two parts of the exam go?" Delia asked in a cheery voice, excited to know how her baby boy did.

Ash walked in and began taking off his shoes while setting his back near the rack of footwear. "I think I did pretty well mom. The written exam was a bit difficult but I'm sure I passed that. For the combat test, I managed to last four minutes fighting the instructor and was able to do all three aura abilities."

"That's wonderful! I'm proud of Ash. Now go clean up. I have prepared a big feast for you."

"Ok." Ash proceeded to run upstairs and take a shower and grab the pair of clothes his mom had already prepared for him in his room which consisted of black track pants with white stripes, and a crimson red sports shirt.

Once he reached back downstairs, he sat on the seat opposite of Delia on the marble dining table where a plate filled with steaming vegetables, spicy beans mixed with rice awaited him along with a glass filled with a thick green liquid. He recognized this as the healthy but very tasty smoothie made from spinach, several berries, and fruits along with a small amount of water.

"This smell's amazing!" His stomach grumbled in agreement.

"Well then, don't keep your stomach waiting." Delia giggled as Ash began to devour his food although he did not forget his manners. She proceeded to eat her own meal in relative silence. After they were done, Ash and Delia began washing the dishes together while discussing the upcoming Connection test taking place in an hour and a half in the Forest of Harmony.

"I have packed everything you will need for the final test in your new travel bag."

"Thanks, mom."

"No need to thank me Ashy. So, what Pokémon are you hoping to find?"

"Any Pokémon can be powerful if trainer right so I don't really care!"

"That's good to hear. Do you have a plan on how you are going to try and find a Pokémon in the Forest?"

"Not really. I was just planning on looking around. The Pokémon in there are pretty calm so it should be easy to just walk around and eventually bond with one."

"I'm sure you'll find the perfect one for you."

Once they were done washing the dishes, they continued their conversation on the couch until the time came for Ash to leave for the final portion of his exam. Delia brought the travel knapsack she bought for him not just for the exam but also once he passes it and goes on his journey. She just knew her baby boy would pass it.

Ash grabbed the backpack and placed his sneakers on.

"You take care of yourself in the forest young man."

"I will mom, don't worry."

The two hugged and stayed like that for a minute before separating.

"Goodluck Ash. I know you'll do great."

Ash smiled at her sincere tone. "Thanks, mom. I'll try my best!"

Ash then opened the door and ran out, heading towards the final location of the exam. However, while he was running, his mother's shout reached his ears.

"DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR UNDERWEAR!"

Ash face-faulted while his face burned from embarrassment as some of the people let loose a few laughs. "MOM!" Ash then quickly ran off before his mom could embarrass him anymore.

Ash ran through the streets; his previous embarrassment being replaced by excitement at the prospect of getting his own Pokémon. He made his way past the academy and headed straight towards the massive bridge that ran across lake Serenity, to the Cameran Palace that sat atop a piece of land smack dab in the middle of said lake.

As Ash reached the palace, he saw numerous guards, wearing full out metal armor that was metallic blue in color. They made for not only an impressive sight but quite the intimidation tool to ward out intruders as well as making them nigh invulnerable. However, Ash ignored them since he was not there to admire then but rather to make his way around the palace, through the gardens that surrounded them. He reached the bridge that would lead him towards the Forest of Harmony where his test would begin.

Racing across the bridge at an amazing speed of around thirty-five miles per hour which was not possible for a normal human but he had aura training thus his body surpassed that of normal people. Reaching the end, Ash could barely contain his excitement as he followed the dirt path through a small forest before eventually reaching a clearing where he saw Titus, Vida, and Riley standing there along with Kace, Green and a couple students that arrived before him.

Ash greeted the instructors and his friends before engaging in a conversation. Well, a conversation with Green and a heated discussion with Kace as to who would get the better Pokémon much to the amusement of the instructors and several of the students.

Once every student arrived and a few Sentinels, which were aura users whose sole job was to guard sanctuaries such as the Forest of Harmony, preventing any poacher from entering the area while also helping resolve any issues the Pokémon in there may face.

The Sentinels wore white robes with blue geometric outlines and their faces were covered with a hood. All of them had a thin bracelet on their right arms that held a light blue glue through the middle of it.

This time Sir Riley came to a few steps forward and began speaking in a booming voice so it reached everyone – using Vishuddha to enhance his vocal cords. "Now that you all have finished your written and combat portion of the exam, its time to move onto the final test. This is where you all will be able to find your very own Pokémon partner who you will bond to and become friends with for your entire life. You all have read through and studied the rulebook for this portion of the test and know what is and isn't allowed but I would still like to go through some key points."

"First of all, remember that you are not to help each other find a Pokémon partner. This is to be done entirely on your own. This leads to the second point that you cannot interfere another person if they are in the process of bonding with a Pokémon or at least getting to know them just because you want that particular Pokémon as your partner. Doing so will result in an immediate fail for the exam. We will be constantly watching you not only to make sure you obey the rules but to keep you and the Pokémon safe should trouble arise. Third, make sure not to disturb the home of any of the Pokémon. If you wish to explore a particular territory that a Pokémon has marked, ask them for permission using your aura as a base for communicating your feelings. Most of the Pokémon here are friendly and will not attack unless you provoke them. Finally, you will be using the Harmonic Balls we have given you to capture the Pokémon after you have bonded with it. Does everyone understand?!" All of the students nodded. "Then begin!"

All of the students cheered before running into the forest in front of them which was the Forest of Harmony.

* * *

It had been around four hours since Ash had entered the Forest of Harmony and had encountered quite a few Pokémon along the way but none that he actually felt a connection towards. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy so he didn't go into this expecting to find an ultra-powerful Pokémon that would just so happen to bond with him.

Currently, he was making his way through the forest while looking at a small map of the area he was handed a few days ago by the academy. He saw that about one kilometer north, there was a large river stream.

'The Pokémon probably go there often to drink water so maybe that's where I should do. And I can set up camp there since it will be getting dark soon.'

Ash put away the map and continued walking although at a quicker pace since he was still very excited and needed to set up camp. As he walked through the fairly dense forest, he smiled at the various bug and grass types that were sitting on the tree branches. The fresh air and serene atmosphere made him feel calmer by the minute.

'If traveling feels this amazing, I can barely wait for my journey to start.'

It was around twenty minutes later did Ash find himself leaving the thicket behind while carrying a bundle of dry branches, twigs, and leaves for the fire he would have to set up. Currently, at the bank of a fairly large river that ran through deep into the forest and connected with Lake Serenity, Ash set his pile of firewood and backpack down. He brought out a small box shaped like a briefcase.

Opening the briefcase up, Ash saw the numerous box-shaped keys, each with a different word on top. He clicked the one that said camp and once he did, a beam of white energy was released from the key, and not a second later, his tent, sleeping bag, and various other camping material materialized right beside him - within a red ring made of a plastic type material - much like a Pokémon would from a Poké Ball.

He silently thanked the person who had invented this piece of technology, named Travel Storage Device (TSD), which was very similar to the Poké Ball in that it materialized a set of equipment within the boundaries of the red ring, storing it as pure energy. You could then release it whenever you wanted by simply pressing the key. It made traveling a whole lot easier for trainers and was fairly cheap plus it did not make one's bag heavy since the material was converted to data and energy, thus weighed nothing.

Ash then began to set up the tent like he was thought and found a bunch of rocks to place in a circle to start his campfire. Once done with everything, he materialized some food his mom had made and thanks to the TSD, the food was the exact same as when it was first put in, hot and fresh.

Once he was done the bowl of beans, he ate some vegetables and sweet potatoes before washing the dishes at the river. While he was washing the dishes, he noticed a few Magikarp, Poliwag, Horsea, Spheal, Buizel and a whole bunch of water types from various regions swimming about. There were even some Dratini but the Pokémon swam as far away from him as possible, no doubt scared of him. He knew the majority of the Pokémon in this forest were saved from various criminal organizations or the black market when they were sold off by poachers.

Ash's eyes held rage for those types of people that treated Pokémon as nothing but tools or as a source for profit. They were living beings and deserved the freedom to choose and live the way they wanted to just as much as humans did. Its why they had this connection test in the first place, to show that humans and Pokémon could live in harmony. Aura users always _asked_ a Pokémon if they wanted to join and then bonded with them, rather then attack and capture them. Who knows how many Pokémon had been ripped away from their families and homes because of trainers.

But it's not as if this type of thing had started recently. With the dark history that most people unaware of, it's more than likely that demons from the past continue to rage on towards this day.

Ash shook his head and pushed the dark line of thought to the back of his mind. "No point in thinking about that."

Once he was done the dishes, he stored everything back in the TSD before getting comfortable in his sleeping bag. His mind wandered to the dreams he wanted to reach. One was to surpass his father and become the best aura guardian to have ever existed, which while was very farfetched, drove him to train hard every day to eventually make it a reality. The second was to become the worlds best trainer and battler, something which he had found himself interested in whenever his mom had taken him to the Indigo League to watch the Conferences that took place there. She also took him to see trainers challenging the Elite Four although only one had made it to Lance, the current Kanto and Johto champion, in the past decade but lost quite quickly against his powerful Pokémon.

Ash wanted to beat the Elite Four and Champion of every region and become the very best, not for the title of Champion but to be known as the best trainer.

He sighed as he imagined himself reaching his goals. He knew that the road would be long and extremely difficult but its that fact that made the fire within him burn even brighter.

Ash didn't even realize when sleep had claimed him.

* * *

Ash walked up a steep hill, making his way to the top so that he could get a better view of the entire forest. It was about noon, and the heat from the sun was scorching, causing his face and exposed skin to feel like it was burning. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Ash pushed himself, making sure to walk slowly and take care in where he placed his foot. He did not want to slip and roll all the way down the hill.

It had been two days and nights since the connection test started and he still hadn't found a Pokémon partner. He had encountered a few of his classmates and met many rare and great Pokémon but none who he felt a connection with. There had been friendly, Aron, Riolu, Bagon, Gible, Abra, etc. which all would have made for wonderful partners but some didn't want to leave their home and others simply didn't resonate with Ash.

While it was looking like he wouldn't find a partner, Ash didn't give up hope and continued searching which was why he currently found himself trying to get a better view of the surrounding area and perhaps find a place where there were lots of Pokémon. When he made it to the top, he saw that he was in fact on a cliff which was quite large with several trees growing near the edge.

He walked to the edge and noticed how far up he actually was. It's a good thing he didn't have a fear of heights or he probably would have fainted at this point. Looking out at the horizon, he saw how huge the forest was along with several mountains in the distance and a few large ponds. However, the most noticeable thing was the Tree of Beginning. It was extremely large, larger than all of the surrounding mountains.

Ash bowed his head for a second in respect at the sacred place before getting back to his current predicament. After a few seconds of analyzing the area, Ash decided it would be best to visit the ponds and maybe try and find a Pokémon.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard some rustling coming from a nearby tree that was at the very edge of the cliff. Curious as to the cause of the sound, Ash walked towards it and eventually noticed a small brownish-green colored figure that almost blended amongst the leaves of the tree. He didn't recognize the Pokémon given his or her back was turned towards him but he saw that he/she was eating some Sitrus berries.

Ash took a few steps forward to get a better look but this caused him to snap a twig which caused the Pokémon to be startled and turn towards him. This resulted in causing the Pokémon to lose its balance on the branch it was on fall. Given how the tree was at the edge of the cliff and the branch the Pokémon had been sitting on reached over it, the Pokémon would no doubt plummet all the way to the bottom of the cliff.

"LARRR!"

Ash's eyes widened as time seemingly slow down for him as he saw the Pokémon falling. He instinctively ran forward at his full speed and jumped straight after the Pokémon. Tucking in his arms to his side and keeping his legs straight, Ash dived for the falling Pokémon, eventually catching up to it and grabbing it.

"Lar!" the Pokémon shouted, startled at being wrapped like that while falling.

Ash quickly saw the ground approaching fast and looked around for anything to grab onto to and managed to find a long root probably from the trees above jutting out of the cliffside. As it approached, Ash prepared himself to grab onto it. As soon as it came, he grabbed it but the resulting jerk causing his shoulder to dislocate.

"AGHHH!" A scream of pain shot out of his mouth but somehow, through sheer force of will, he managed to hold onto the root.

After a few moments of heavy panting, Ash opened his eyes and saw the terrified expression of the Pokémon in his arms which he now recognized to be a Larvitar. This was no doubt the reason why his shoulder dislocated so easily despite his tougher body. Larvitar weighed around one hundred and fifty pounds which was about how much he weighed. Breaking the fall with both of their weight was more then his arm could handle.

"H-Hey…don't worry…I got you." Said Ash trying to sooth the Pokémon.

The Larvitar saw the sincere smile on human's face despite the pain he knew the human was in. The rock-ground type relaxed in his grip and gave a smile of gratitude. "Lar, Larvitar."

It was pretty easy to tell Larvitar was no doubt thanking Ash for saving him.

"No problem, although it's my fault for startling you like that. Now, can you climb up to the branch? I'm not sure how long I can hold on." Said, Ash, as he could feel his grip slipping and began to try and concentrate. He felt Larvitar use his clothing to climb up the branch while he imagined a red swirl of energy and used his Muladhara to enhance his physical strength as much as he could to prevent himself and the Pokémon from falling to their doom.

Although the sensation was uncomfortable, he felt himself getting a bit stronger as Larvitar finally managed to get onto the branch, relieving his body of the extra weight. Now came the problem of how he was going to climb on top of the root.

He knew he couldn't move his left arm, lest he want to be subjected to intense pain resulting in him letting go. So, he tried to reach the root with his other arm but was inches away from the root and he couldn't use his other arm to help in any way.

"Ghh. Almost there…" Ash let loose a noise of frustration as he tried to reach for the branch which was only a couple inches away. Just as he was about to give up and let himself hang there, he felt something pulling on his right hand.

Looking upward, he saw Larvitar grabbing onto his hand and pulling with all his might. Larvitar had an intense amount of strength packed into his little body and as a result, Ash ended up managing to not only get hold of the root but place his arm around it. This enabled him to use his core, toughened through lots of intense training, and awkwardly push his whole body on top of the branch.

Panting a bit due to the exertion, Ash looked at Larvitar with a grateful smile. "Thanks a ton, Larvitar. I wouldn't have made it without your help."

"Larvitar, lar lar!" The rock-ground type cheered while pounding his chest in a show of strength.

Ash looked at his dislocated shoulder and grunted a bit as it still hurt like hell. He needed to pop it back into place. Looking at Larvitar he decided to ask the Pokémon for help. "Larvitar…I'm going to need your help."

"Lar?" The Pokémon tilted his head in confusion.

"I need your help to fix my shoulder. When I tell you to, can you please push my shoulder just enough that it fits back into place? Don't use all your strength otherwise my shoulder will break." Ash then demonstrated what he meant using his right arm to explain the motion.

Larvitar understood and nodded his head with a determined look in his eyes. "Lar, Larvitar!"

Ash then proceeded to carefully take off his backpack and pull out a small towel. "On the count of three, do it."

Larvitar nodded and got in place while Ash leaned down a bit and placed the towel in his mouth. He then used his right arm to count down. "3, 2, 1…MPHH!"

The moment his fingers reached three, Larvitar pushed as Ash showed him but not with all his strength. This caused a small popping sound to be heard and Ash had bit down on the towel harshly at the flash of pain before a sense of relief filled him although he still felt some discomfort. No doubt, he would have to go back to Paladin Vida and have her take a look at it.

Ash released the towel from his mouth and looked at Larvitar with a smile. "Thanks a ton again Larvitar."

"Larvitar, lar lar!" The rock-ground type cheered again in the same manner by punching his chest.

Ash smiled before frowning. Looking upwards, he saw the cliff that was fairly straight but there was no good place to get proper footing so climbing it was out of the question for him. He then looked downward and saw that they were still a good hundred feet off the ground. Although, there were a few more roots below them as far as he could see.

"Larvitar, I think we're going to have to climb down."

Larvitar looked down and then back at Ash and nodded, no fear in his eyes.

Ash looked through his bag and materialized sets of rope from his TSD and proceeded to tie it to the branch and then place it around himself and Larvitar before showing him how to lower himself downward. The Pokémon followed Ash's instructions carefully, and they proceeded to climb down, making their way to another root. Following the procedure again, the two eventually reached the ground.

"WOOHOO! Sweet ground!" Ash cried in joy with Larvitar doing the same.

"LARVITAR!"

Once the two were done jumping for joy, Ash looked at Larvitar and kneeled down on the ground. "Thanks for all your help Larvitar and sorry for about all this."

"Lar, Larvitar tar tar," Larvitar said with a shake of his head.

Ash mostly understood that Larvitar was saying something along the lines of "No problem at all."

That's when Ash's eyes widened a slight bit. "Hey, Larvitar…do you want to come on a journey with me?"

"Lar?"

"You see, I plan to go on a journey around the world and have this dream of becoming the best Pokémon trainer and aura guardian ever. I was wondering if you want to come on this journey with me?" asked Ash in a sincere tone.

Larvitar stayed silent for a few moments, causing Ash's hope to dwindle.

"Larvitar!"

Ash couldn't help the grin that came on his face when Larvitar jumped in joy and nodded his head. "So, that means that you want to come with me?" The Pokémon nodded again causing his grin to become wider as he barely contained his excitement since there was still one more thing that needed to be done. "Larvitar do you know what an aura bond is?"

Larvitar nodded his head given that the majority of the Pokémon in the forest knew their pact with the guardians that guarded the forest and he had learned about this examination from the other Pokémon living here.

"Great! Now just stay still and relax." Larvitar did so but could not help widen his eyes a slight bit when a small stream of white energy came forth from Ash's chest and made its way towards Larvitar's own chest.

The moment this happened, the two widened their eyes as they felt a strange sensation wash over them. It was as if they were both viewing each other but from the other's perspective. They felt each other's emotions. Nervousness, happiness, excitement, tranquility…but most of all, the connection that was forming between them. It was unlike anything they had ever felt before.

By the time they had regained their sense of reality, the two had opened their eyes and saw that the white stream of energy between them was no longer there, but they felt the connection they now shared. They could essentially sense the other's presence there, but they still felt something strange. Ash noted to ask Titus, Vida or Riley about this.

"Now the last step to this, just tap his ball and we'll officially be partners," Ash said as he expanded the blue Poké Ball with white geometric outlines from its minimized form. Larvitar did so and tapped the sphere, before being converted into red energy and being sucked into it.

Larvitar felt no pressure or resistance from within the ball but a strange sensation as if he was being asked whether he wanted to be captured or not. This was nothing like what some of the Pokémon he had spoken to described. They said that when you were captured, you felt a strange pressure trying to confine you within the sphere but here he had felt none of that. Relaxing and mentally accepting this capture, the ball gave the signature ding sound at the capture. Larvitar then wished to come outside and the ball immediately responded to the Pokémon's will and did so.

Ash watched the capture with a smile knowing full well that Larvitar accepted being his partner. When the rock-ground type came out of the ball, Ash patted his head, causing the Pokémon to melt to his touch. "Welcome to my family partner."

"Lar! Larvitar lar lar!"

Ash chuckled at the joyous rock-ground type. "I guess now we have to head back…although, I have no idea where exactly I am…" Ash said looking around and seeing nothing but trees and the cliff behind him. He was broken out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his pants. Looking down, Ash saw Larvitar pointing upwards, toward the cliff.

Ash's eyes widened at what Larvitar was trying to say. "Great job Larvitar! I guess we make our way back to the top of the cliff by going around. Then I should be able to easily find the way back."

"Lar!"

Let's go!

Just as they were about to walk, Larvitar heard a very faint rustle coming from a distance behind them. It was too low for Ash to hear though.

"Lar?" The rock-ground type looked around trying to find the source of the noise but found nothing.

"Larvitar?"

The Pokémon looked at Ash before looking back at the bush and then back at Ash. Shaking his head, Larvitar then proceeded to walk towards the direction they were originally headed towards. Ash shrugged and walked beside his partner noticing that he gave one last glance behind them before looking forward.

"Wonder what that was about?" Ash mumbled to himself.

* * *

Titus glanced at the retreating backs of Ash and his new partner, Larvitar. He had seen the whole ordeal of Ash jumping after Larvitar and then breaking their fall by grabbing a root coming out of the cliff resulting in a dislocated shoulder. He had used his telekinetic powers to slow down Ash's descent when he had fallen which resulted in only a dislocated shoulder. Given Larvitar's added weight, Ash would have lost his entire left arm had he not been here.

He had been more than prepared to interfere afterwards and help Ash and would have had he not want to see how Ash would respond to the situation he was in. Most kids would freak out at this point but surprisingly enough Ash managed to stay calm and collected and find a way out of the precarious situation he had found himself in.

In the process, he got himself quite the rare partner as well, since Larvitar was quite hard to find, even in their home region of Johto, and this was the only Larvitar in the entire forest too brought here when his mother had been killed by poachers when he had just been in an egg.

"You've found quite the partner Ash. And risking your life like that for a Pokémon without hesitation. Your father would have been so proud of you."

Titus then left, a sad smile on his face, getting back to patrolling the forest along with the Sentinels to keep an eye on the kids.

* * *

Once Ash and Larvitar had made it back to the top of the cliff, which had taken around two hours, it had been easy to find the right way back to the starting point of the exam. Currently, the two were just about there and Ash had been rambling on about his traveling plans.

"After we complete all of the gym battles, I was thinking that we can come back to Rota and then go to different places to train for the conference. Then, I was thinking of maybe heading to maybe Hoenn or Sinnoh…or maybe Johto."

Larvitar sweat-dropped at how his human partner kept rambling on about traveling and battling. Truth-be-told, Larvitar was excited at the prospect of battling other Pokémon and becoming strong but the length of time Ash had been rambling was starting to get annoying considering that they had been walking for nearly six hours – with rest and snacks in between - and dusk was approaching.

"LAR!" Larvitar shouted while lightly kicking Ash's foot.

Ash stopped rambling and looked at Larvitar who was glaring at him and he could practically sense the annoyance rolling off of him. "Is something wrong Larvitar?"

"Lar! Larvitar lar lar, vitar!"

Ash got the gist of what Larvitar said considering he was gesturing towards his mouth. "Sorry about that. I tend to ramble a lot when it comes to battling and training." Ash said with a blush of embarrassment.

"Tar," Larvitar nodded.

Ash rubbed his aching shoulder a bit before looking at Larvitar. "Say Larvitar, are you okay with leaving the forest to travel. I mean you must have friends and family here?" Larvitar shook his head. "Really?"

Larvitar nodded but didn't say anything else which gave Ash reason enough to shut up. It was probably something sensitive.

A few minutes later, Ash and Larvitar found themselves back in the clearing where he saw a few students sitting there along with Paladin Vida. Two people he instantly recognized was Green and Kace.

Green was currently quite dirty with the mud and dirt on her clothes and hair. She was patting her partner Pokémon which he recognized to be a Bulbasaur. Near her was Kace who had a Bagon near him that was headbutting a boulder. When Kace saw Ash walking towards them he smirked and told Green who looked in his direction as well.

Ash was also looking a bit dirty with specs of dust and dirt on his clothes but Kace was looking a bit worse given the few bruises on his hands and clothing that looked to be a bit ripped.

"I guess luck was on your side if _you_ found a Pokémon," Kace said with a smug look.

Ash easily detected the insult in his words. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Have you gotten dumber in the three days you spent in the forest?"

Just as Ash was about to retort, Paladin Vida almost magically appeared in front of him with a stern, angry and concerned look on her face.

"What the hell were you thinking young man?!" Vida practically shouted in his face, which was very unlike her normal bubbly attitude which is why it caught Kace, Green and many of the other students off-guard.

"W-What are you talking about?" Ash nervously asked while backing a bit. Larvitar sensed his partner's nervousness and immediately jumped in front of him despite detecting the massive amount of power radiating from the human female.

"GRR…" Larvitar growled in a threatening manner towards Vida.

Vida looked at the Larvitar and then back at Ash and sighed, her facial features softening. "I mean that stunt you pulled. You do realize you could have lost your left arm today?"

This fact that caught Kace and Green off-guard since they didn't know their rival and friend could have been handicapped today.

"What do you mean Ash could have lost his left arm?" Green asked.

"Apparently, Larvitar here had fallen off a cliff and Ash jumped after it. He managed to catch him and break their fall by grabbing onto a root. This would have destroyed his left shoulder joint completely but Titus had been there and used his telekinesis to slow their descent resulting in only a dislocated shoulder."

"So, that's who that was…" Ash mumbled to himself referring to Larvitar looking back at a spot in the trees and bushes at the bottom of the cliff. No doubt, Larvitar had sensed Titus.

"Now come here and let me take a look at you," Vida said seriously to which Ash immediately complied.

Ash took off his top clothing revealing quite the toned body for a fifteen-year-old much like all of the other kids in his class given their training. Vida then placed her hands a few inches above his left shoulder and a green glow came from them.

"It's a good thing you fixed your shoulder quite quickly otherwise I would have had to admit you to the medical ward for treatment," Vida explained after a few seconds. Around half a minute later, she said, "Now, your shoulder's good as new but I recommend letting it heal for a day or two and stay away from any sort of heavy lifting or strain."

Ash nodded and then began conversing with his friend and rival. Green apparently had gotten stuck in mud and Bulbasaur had saved her resulting in them bonding. Kace had encountered Bagon who tried headbutting him several times before the two had bonded.

"Although that was stupid, you were quite brave to do that Ash," Kace mumbled, almost to low for Ash to hear.

Ash gasped. "Was that a praise from the top student in the academy!? I am honored."

"Don't be ridiculous. I said you were stupid." Kace denied with a small blush of embarrassment.

"And you were a ramming post for Bagon," Ash replied with a smug smirk, one that was usually on Kace's face.

"You…you! Hmph!" Kace grunted and walked away, unable to think of a comeback, and Bagon walked beside him.

"Ah, the sweet taste of victory," Ash said while taking a deep breath of air. The cool crisp breeze wafting over his face just made him all the better.

"Kace could never make a good comeback on the spot, could he?" Green asked rhetorically.

"Nope."

"Now you two should get home. It will be a while before we round up all the kids still in the forest. Your reports will be given to you tomorrow." Came the voice of Vida.

"Yes, Paladin Vida." The two replied simultaneously before walking back home with their Pokémon partners by their side.

* * *

Standing in front of the door to his home, Ash took a deep breath, happy to be able to see his mom after three days in the forest but also extremely excited at the prospect of starting his journey tomorrow. He was pretty confident he passed all portions of the test. Looking at Larvitar who had been quite enamoured with all the sights he had been seeing for the first time since he had spent practically all his life in the forest or underground.

Both the Cameron Palace and the Town of Rota had been jaw-dropping experiences for the rock-ground type and he had been looking everywhere, taking in every sight he possibly could.

"Larvitar."

"Lar?"

"Now, I'm going to introduce you to my mom." Larvitar nodded and Ash knocked on the door, not noticing the sad frown on his partners face.

"ASH!" came the shout of his mom as she opened the door and hugged him for dear life. When she had gotten the news of what happened to Ash during the exam, she had been worried sick and wanted nothing more then to run over there and see if her baby boy was okay. It was only reassurance from the aura guardian who delivered the message saying that Titus was looking after him and that Vida would heal any injuries did she calm down enough.

Still, the waiting had been unbearable.

"Mom…air!" Ash gasped as his mom was squeezing the living daylights out of him.

Delia let go but immediately dragged Ash inside with Larvitar following him, not reacting to his partner being squeezed like that given that she was his mother.

Half-an-hour later Ash was sitting on the sofa beside Delia apologizing to her. "I'm really sorry mom."

Delia who had an irritated and angry look on her face since she spent the past thirty lecturing Ash. "I was really worried about you Ash," Delia said, her face softening and tears coming down her eyes.

Ash stood up and hugged his mom. The two spent the embrace in silence taking comfort from each other. The two had always been close and with Ash's dad died before he had been born, Ash had been her anchor for emotional support.

"I'm sorry mom. I promise I'll be more careful from now on. Plus, I'll have Larvitar by my side to watch my back." Ash said as they broke the embrace.

Ash looked at Larvitar who had been sitting on the ground some distance away watching the two in silent and gave his partner a thumbs up.

"I know but I'm your mom Ash. I'll always worry about you." Delia said wiping her tears.

"Now you get cleaned up and then let's eat. I'm sure you and Larvitar are starving. After that, we can get to opening your birthday presents…"

Ash disappeared up the stairs in astounding speed, leaving Larvitar and Delia to blink.

"Hehe…Ash always loved presents." Delia giggled.

"Lar?"

* * *

After an extremely delicious and satisfying meal, Ash, Delia, and Larvitar were seated in the living room sofa's again with the latter rubbing his cheeks against Delia's leg due to the extremely tasty food she had made.

Two beautifully wrapped boxes were laid on the table in front of them.

"~Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday my dear Ash, happy birthday to you. From good friends and true. From old friends and new. May good luck go with you. And happiness too~" Delia sang to him in a beautiful voice with a small chocolate cake in her hands.

Ash smiled and blew out all the candles. Taking the knife on the table, he cut a small piece and fed it to Delia who then repeated the process and gave him a piece. The two also fed Larvitar as well.

"Go ahead, Ash. Open your presents." Delia said, seeing the gleam in his eyes and the constant glances he gave the presents.

He proceeded to do so and once he opened the first box, his eyes lit up. "A Smart Gear?" Ash let out in a low tone filled with disbelief.

"I know you're going to be on the road so this will help you a lot. It comes with many handy features in addition to calling and messaging, Such as a map of any and every region. A battling network information system filled with training advice, battling tips and all sorts of other useful pieces of information from pro battlers like Gym Leaders, Elite Four's and Champions. There is a lot more but I'll leave those features to you." Delia explained. Smart Gear's were an upgraded version of Poke Gear's that had been created by the Devon Corporation in an attempt to expand and better the information sharing network for trainers constantly on the move along with being able to contact each other. This was made possible due to the numerous satellites they had launched into orbit.

"T-Thank you s-so much mom." Ash said, unable to believe he actually had a Smart Gear. While not overly expensive they had been on limited release because they were only recently made so to actually get one.

"You don't need to thank me, Ash. It was easy to get it since I worked with a scientist back in my days as a minor researcher and she managed to put me on the waiting list to get one. Now get to opening your other presents too." Delia replied with a smile. It brought so much joy and happiness to her heart to see her son so happy.

Ash nodded, too happy and stunned from his mom's kindness to use any words but his eyes and smile delivered everything he wanted to say.

"Lar." Larvitar added pointing to the final birthday present seeing that his partner had seemingly spaced out for a few moments.

"Thanks, Larvitar." Ash then turned to the last present and quickly unwrapped it.

He saw that it was a book with the title 'Traveling Cook Book Guide for People and Pokémon' but it was the author's name that caught his attention the most - 'Delia Ketchum'. "Huh?"

"It's a cookbook I made for you to help you when you're on the road. You can easily store grocery in the TSD and with this, you'll be able to not only be able to eat healthily and improve you're training but also make nutritious food for your Pokémon as well." Delia explained.

"When did you write this mom?"

"I worked on it during my free time for the past two years. I haven't even given it to any publisher. I just made it on my computer and printed it and had it bound. I hope you like it."

Ash couldn't believe he was holding two years worth of hard work his mom had done. "I love it, mom." He said sincerely. No doubt, eating right was another thing they were taught from very early on for proper growth and it resulted in everyone in the academy and in the Rota Kingdom to be extremely healthy. For him to be able to stick to a healthy diet while on the road without his mom around was just awesome. "Thank you so much mom but why don't you get this published. With your amazing cooking skills, this would be a best seller."

"You really think so?"

"Of course! I know this would become a best seller. You could help many people start eating healthy."

"I guess I may just have it published." Said Delia. Part of why she didn't have it looked by a publisher was because she wanted to see what Ash thought.

Ash nodded, happy with his mom's decision although looking at these gifts, doubts began to rise in his mind. "What if I don't pass? These gifts…"

"You'll pass Ash. I know you will. I saw you study and train so hard these past months preparing for the exams and from what you told me, you did everything to the best of your abilities. It's not like you to not be confident in yourself." Delia said in a comforting tone.

"Lar!"

"See, even Larvitar agrees."

"Yeah. Your both right. I know I'll pass!" Ash cheered.

"That's my Ashy."

The two spent the next hour or so talking before finally heading to bed. Ash quickly fell asleep due to his exhaustion while Delia had a bit more trouble since this was the last day before Ash left on his journey and then it would be quite a while before she would physically get to see his face again.

* * *

Ash was currently standing in a small lecture hall with his classmates as each one of them were being called up by their last names in alphabetical order and given their results. Some got really happy when they got their results and some were very sad so it was easy to tell who passed and who failed.

He looked at Larvitar who was munching on some Pokémon food he had brought with him. All of the other Pokémon were either playing around with each other or sitting quietly with their respective partners.

"Ash Ketchum." Came the voice of Sir Riley who was the one distributing the results.

Ash got up from his seat and whispered a 'Thank you.' To Green who sat beside him and wished him good luck. Larvitar got up as well and walked beside his partner while continuing to eat.

Ash walked down the steps and eventually stood in front of the table Sir Riley was seated at. He handed him two sheets of paper stapled together.

"Congratulations," Riley whispered.

Ash's eyes widened at what this meant and he took a look at his sheet and it had a big 'PASS' stamped at the top beside his name and information. It took all of Ash's willpower not to burst in excitement right then and there since everyone was expected to sit quietly and only converse about their results once everyone had them.

Ash looked at Larvitar who had noticed the pure glee and happiness on Ash's face. "Lar?"

"I passed." He whispered to his partner before walking back to his seat with Larvitar in toe.

"So, how'd you do?" whispered Green.

"I passed."

"Really? Congratulations." Green said as Ash showed her his result sheet. "You should look over it."

Ash nodded and proceeded to do just that.

For this written exam, he saw that he had gotten seventy-eight points out of the hundred possible which was quite good in his book especially the way they sometimes worded the questions to trick you and if you didn't know the material exactly you would get it wrong.

Next came the hand-to-hand combat test which he saw he passed but he was more interested in the analyses section where the instructor who had tested him gave him a review on his strengths and weaknesses and what he could do to improve.

**_Hand-to-Hand Combat_**

_Ash Ketchum displayed extremely fast quick thinking and planning in mid-combat suggesting that he responds well in combat in pressure-filled situations. He has above average physical strength and conditioning as he managed to hold his own weight against me even when I fought him to the best of my abilities. He has sharp reflexes as he was able to respond to unexpected attacks in an instant despite not being in the best position to do so. Furthermore, he has shown capable of changing the direction of his offensive attacks mid-swing._

_His weaknesses lie in the fact that he does not use his legs nearly as much as he should during combat. He is too reliant on punches and left many openings which he could have easily covered if he had used his legs to block a few strikes leaving his hands free for offense or defense. Due to his quick reactions, I believe if he can not only incorporate his legs but also use his elbows and knees for defense and offense._

_Because of this, I recommend he be taught the Infernape style._

_Ash Ketchum should include more agility and flexibility related exercises as well as increase his speed which is currently lacking behind his physical strength._

_I believe he is more than capable of handling himself not only on D and low C class missions and is more than ready to begin on his journey._

**_Aura Abilities_**

_Ash Ketchum's raw power in his Aura Sphere was high above average no doubt because of his high connection to Manipura. The sheer power behind his attack was quite impressive and it required my full powered Aura Shield to defend against it. However, if he increased the rotation of his sphere, its destructive power would no doubt triple. I recommend he focus on improving his rotation and performing aura control exercises._

_He also displayed a powerful defensive shield as it withstood eighty percent of my full powered Aura Sphere. This was very impressive especially considering that he made the shield on sheer instinct as soon as I launched my attack unexpectedly. His flaw lied in him trying to increase the strength of his shield by simply pouring more aura into it rather than focusing his aura on the point of impact and reinforcing that part alone. I recommend performing aura control exercises._

_His ability to conceal his aura was quite below average. He is not suited for any sort of infiltration as his aura acts as a beacon that is easy for any sensor to detect no doubt due to his connection with Manipura. His huge reserves of aura make it quite difficult to control the flow of how much it is poured out for techniques. I recommend a focus on aura control exercises._

_Shape manipulation exercises are also recommended for improving his ability to use Manipura._

**_Connection Test_**

_Ash Ketchum bonded with a male Larvitar in the Forest of Harmony._

_Ash Ketchum displays a bad sense of direction as he had often got lost in the forest but managed to find his way around with the use of tall trees to get a better view. His ability to think during a situation is quite impressive, as displayed when he met Larvitar._

_He managed to display quick thinking and also kept a calm head during his situation of falling from a cliff after Larvitar who fell due to being startled. Despite the precarious life and death situation Ash managed to not only keep a calm head the entire time and quickly think of a way to solve his problem, but he also prioritized Larvitar's safety over his own. Furthermore, he managed to quickly use Larvitar's help to pop his dislocated shoulder back into place._

The rest of the comments explained the entire situation in much more detail which he skimmed through until he reached the end.

_Despite the reckless behaviour, Ash is shown to care quite deeply about Pokémon and is more than ready to go on his journey._

_Recommendation from Titus._

Ash was surprised that Titus recommended him since his word carried a lot of weight.

"Now that all of you know if you have passed or failed, you know what you should do since the instructions are written on your result sheets. Those who have failed will continue to attend the Academy and proceed to take the exams again. For those who passed, congratulations and I hope you all have a successful career no matter what you choose, whether it be a journey or advanced aura training. For those who are leaving on a journey, please stay behind. The rest of you are free to go."

The students filed out leaving behind only Kace, Green and Ash. The other three who had also wanted to go on a journey did not pass and thus would be taking the exams again.

"Ash, Kace, Green…congratulations again on passing. Come up here as I have a few things to give you before you could head on your way to whatever region you will be traveling in."

The three made their way down and stood in front of the table.

Sir Riley then handed them a blue textbook that had 'Aura Training' written on top. "This book contains exercises and training method for advancing the use of your aura as a whole." He then handed Ash two textbooks, one a golden yellow color and the other a crimson red color. The yellow colored book had a gold circle with ten small petals surrounding it, each petal holding a symbol with a large symbol that represented Manipura being in the center surrounded by an upside-down triangle. The crimson red book had a red circle with four large red petals around it, each holding a symbol along with a big red symbol being in the center representing Muladhara which was surrounded by a square.

Green was handed a green textbook that had a circle on the cover surrounded by twelve petals and the symbol of Anahata in the center of a star that was within the circle.

Kace was handed two textbooks, one blue in color and the other purple. The blue colored book had a circle surrounded by sixteen-petals and in the center of the circle was the symbol for Vishuddha which was surrounded by a small circle that was within an upside-down triangle, within the larger circle. The purple book had a circle with two large petals on the side along with the symbol for Ajna in the center within an upside-down triangle.

"Each of these books hold everything you will need to advance your training for whatever layer of aura you are connected to. Make sure to follow the instructions in the books to the letter as they have been made from the experience of all sorts of aura users across the centuries. As you further your training, you will also get to the point of being able to manipulate the elements that layer is associated with but that is a few years or so in the future. Now here are the final two things I need to give you." Riley then handed each of them a Pokédex and a bag of blue harmonic balls.

Ash took the black Pokédex with red outlines while Kace took the white one with blue outlines and Green took the grey one with green outlines.

"These Pokédex will act not only as a Pokédex, bank account for prize money and your trainer ID but also as a way we can communicate with you in the case we need you to perform a mission. If you have a phone or poke gear you can link it with the Pokédex. Well, that's pretty much it so, do you three have any questions?"

Ash nodded. "Sir Riley, I was wondering something about the Aura Bond. After I did it with Larvitar, I felt something weird…like something was missing."

"Did you read the booklet I had given all of you about the Aura Bond?"

"Um…I read about the first two pages…before I fell asleep."

Riley sighed while Kace and Green snickered much to Ash's embarrassment.

"That weird feeling is completely natural Ash. The Aura Bond does not instantly connect you to the Pokémon. It just sets the foundation from which the bond you two have can grow. This requires the building of trust and understanding between yourself and your partner Pokémon. As you two battle and grow together the bond will grow stronger and you two will begin to understand each other more and more. Understand." Ash nodded. "Any more questions?"

The three shook their head. Sir Riley then waved them goodbye. Ash and company with their Pokémon left the hall and began to make their way out of the academy to head over to the area where all their parents were waiting for them.

When they arrived, they saw many of the kids talking to their parents. They easily found their parents and walked over to them.

"Hey, mom! I passed!" Ash said before giving Delia a hug.

"That's wonderful Ash. I knew you would pass."

Ash then looked at his friend and rival and saw how they were interacting with their mother and father. A bit of his excitement left him but he looked back at Delia not a moment later. "So which region are you guys going to?"

Green and Kace stopped talking with their parents and looked at Ash.

"I'm going to Johto first," Said Green.

"I'm headed to Hoenn," said Kace.

"Nice. Let's keep in touch." The two nodded and they exchanged contact information thanks to their newly acquired communication devices whether it be a Smart Gear or regular Poke Gear.

"Well, I'm off on my journey!"

"Good luck Ash."

"Hey Ash…before you leave, let's have a battle." Kace said to which the adults watched intently.

"Alright! I can start my journey by kicking your ass!"

"We'll see just whose ass gets kicked." Kace replied with a confident smirk.

"Settle down you two. Let's head to the battlefields." Titus said before leading the way and the others following. "Did you two scan your Pokémon with your Pokédex and see what moves they know?"

Kace and Ash blinked. "Uhh…"

"You should probably get to it." Titus replied.

The woman behind the kids giggled a bit before engaging in a conversation while Ash and Kace scanned their Pokémon who was walking beside them.

**[Larvitar – The Rock Skin Pokémon. Larvitar are born underground and must eat its way through the soil to get to the surface. Once Larvitar has eaten a large mountain's worth of soil, he/she will become a pupa. **

**This Larvitar is male.**

**Larvitar knows the following moves: Bite, Dragon Dance, Body Slam, Power-Up Punch]**

**[Bagon – The Rock Head Pokémon. Bagon dreams of flying every day and practices by jumping off of cliffs. This results in Bagon's head growing as hard as tempered steel.**

**This Bagon is male.**

**Bagon knows the following moves: Rage, Ember, Headbutt, Dragon Dance]**

"This is awesome! You know some amazing moves Larvitar!" Ash complimented his partner causing him to puff out his chest. "There is no way we can lose now!"

Meanwhile, Kace was silently formulating a strategy in his head while Ash was boasting of how he was going to win the upcoming battle.

Once they arrived at the battlefield, Delia, the other two women, Green, and her dad sat on the benches while Kace and Ash took their respective places in the trainer boxes with Titus refereeing.

"This will be a one-on-one match with no time limit. Anyone of you can have the first move. Let the battle begin!" Titus announced.

Larvitar and Bagon glared at each other with determined eyes.

Ash being the more impatient one, took the first attack. "Larvitar use Power-Up Punch!"

Larvitar charged forward as his right arm began to take a white glow with a small crimson outline.

"Headbutt." Kace replied in a calm tone.

Bagon charged straight forward with his head pointed towards the oncoming Larvitar. The two eventually collided but they struggled to overpower one another.

"Come on Larvitar!" Ash encouraged.

"Lar!" Larvitar shouted as he began to pushed harder causing Bagon to be pushed backward, bit by bit.

"Ember."

Bagon let loose a small stream of flames from his mouth and while not dealing much damage, the heat of the attack caused Larvitar to falter. This allowed Bagon to give one last push to send Larvitar rolling back a few feet.

"No Larvitar!" Ash then looked at Kace and saw the infuriating smug smirk on his face. 'I can't attack head on again but Larvitar does not know any long-range attacks. Maybe if Larvitar becomes faster…'

"Larvitar, use Dragon Dance!"

"Bagon, use Dragon Dance as well."

Ash growled. 'I forgot Bagon knows Dragon Dance too,' Ash thought having heard Kace's Pokédex list out Bagon's moves.

The two Pokémon became surrounded by red and black wisps, as they felt their muscles tense as they grew in density while their legs become filled with energy.

"Use Power-Up Punch again!" Ash said knowing the effect of the move.

Larvitar charged forward again but this time faster.

"Dodge it and counter with Rage," Kace said but this time not as calm as before. 'If Larvitar continues to use Power-Up Punch, he'll knock Bagon but Rage should let him keep up.'

Bagon became surrounded by a red aura while his eyes glowed red as his mind became filled with rage. He charged forward faster than before and faster then Larvitar.

The two Pokémon met in the middle of the field and started exchanging blows while also trying to dodge the other's attack. Bagon was having more success in dodging and connecting his attacks due to his lesser body weight allowing for a lot more agility. While Larvitar was doing more damage with every attack that managed to hit, Bagon got a lot more hits in and subsequently, his rage grew causing him to deal tremendous damage.

With one final strike, Bagon nailed Larvitar with his head, sending the ground-type flying backwards a few feet. This showed the tremendous strength in the dragon type, thanks to the Dragon Dance and Rage attacks, given Larvitar's weight.

"No Larvitar!" Ash shouted in worry as he saw the bruised and tired form of his partner struggling to get on his two feet.

"L-Lar…v-vi"

Kace was not about to let this opening go. "End this with Headbutt!"

Bagon ran forward with his head pointed forward.

"Larvitar please dodge it!" Ash shouted in vain as Larvitar lacked the strength to get up after the beating he had received.

The rock-ground type could only watch in shock as he saw the Bagon closing in before the attack connected, immediately sending Larvitar to unconsciousness.

As Larvitar was sent tumbling backwards, Ash could only watch in shock as he had lost his very first battle as a trainer.

"Larvitar is unable to battle! Bagon wins! The winner of this match is Kace!"

"Larvitar!" Ash said as he ran forward to his fallen partner. Despite his immense weight, Ash managed to pick him up thanks to his physical training and looked at his partner with worry. "Larvitar are you alright!?"

"Larvitar will be just fine Ash. His thick armor plating is one of the toughest in the world and can let him survive in most situations. Take him to the medical ward and ask Paladin Vida to look after him."

"Ash…" Delia said as she ran up to him, but Ash had already run out of the massive arena, making his way to the medical ward as fast as he could.

"He never could take losing, well could he? Just like Richard." Titus said.

"Yeah…" Delia replied a bit sad at the memory of her late husband.

"Go to him. He'll need someone. It's not easy to lose your first battle as a trainer." Titus said before looking at his son. Despite Ash's loss, he felt proud of Kace.

Delia nodded and left for the medical ward as well, worried about Ash.

* * *

Ash stood beside Larvitar who was currently being surrounded by green healing energy of Anahata via Paladin Vida.

"Don't worry Ash. Larvitar will be just fine." Vida said and indeed Larvitar was starting to regain consciousness.

"Lar?" The rock-ground type said, confused as to the change in scenery as his blurred vision became clearer.

"Larvitar! I'm so happy your alright!" Ash said as he hugged the rock-ground type.

"Tar." Larvitar said, feeling comfortable at the embrace but then he remembered exactly what brought him here. "Larvitar," he said in a sad voice.

As Vida finished healing the Pokémon, she left the room giving the two their privacy and nodded at Delia who she saw was waiting near the door.

Ash was able to tell what caused Larvitar to be sad. "Hey Larvitar, it's okay. Its okay we lost."

"Lar," Larvitar said with a frown as his partner's face and tone contradicted his words. Larvitar knew his partner was upset at the loss.

"Ash." Delia said, making her presence known while walking over. "Its okay to be upset at losing Ash."

Ash's fist clenched as he looked at Delia his sadness and anger at his loss clearly showing on his face.

"Think about Larvitar Ash. You're upset that you lost the battle but I'm sure Larvitar is currently blaming himself for this loss."

This caused Ash to widen his eyes and quickly turn to look at his partner who could not meet his eyes.

"Vitar…"

"Larvitar, it's not your fault we lost. It's mine. Please don't blame yourself." Ash said patting Larvitar's head.

Larvitar didn't seem convinced and didn't look Ash in his eyes.

"Pokémon can tell when you talk to them with hollow words Ash. This loss, its both of your faults and yet neither of yours."

Larvitar and Ash looked at Delia in confusion. "What do you mean mom?"

"I'll show you in the morning. Come by the waterfall east of Lake Serenity after Larvitar has been cleared by Paladin Vida."

Despite his confusion Ash nodded his head, wondering just what his mom wanted to show him.

"Get some rest you two. Tomorrow you both go on your journey and you need to be well rested."

The two agreed and Larvitar got comfortable on the bed while Ash placed his head on his head atop the bed while wiggling in his chair to get comfortable.

Delia smiled at her son, already feeling the depth of the bond between the two. This loss would bring them far closer than a victory ever could. She knew he wouldn't always win every battle and there would be times where losses would hit him quite hard, case in point being the loss against his childhood rival.

She wasn't sure if what she planned tomorrow would help him the way she wanted it to but she could hope. It certainly would help steer him in the right direction and Ash always took her words to heart.

Seeing the two relaxing but refusing to fall asleep, no doubt contemplating over their recent battle, what they could have done differently to achieve a different outcome, Delia decided to sooth their hearts but humming to them the song of the Guardian of the Sea, Lugia.

A simple song that carried the dream of peace and harmony and soothed the very soul of all those who heard it.

Ash and Larvitar couldn't help but let loose a content smile as the music graced their ears, gently pushing away all their previous thoughts as they lost themselves to the song. The soft tone sharply contrasted the sheer power behind Delia's voice.

It held such depth and meaning that just compelled them to open their hearts to it.

The two didn't even realize when the comfortable blanket was placed over them and they drifted into a pleasant slumber.

* * *

**The next morning**

* * *

Ash and now the fully healed Larvitar scrunched their eyes to try and see through the dense fog that surrounded them, trying to make their way towards the sound of crashing water that had been audible for quite some time. It was only thanks to Ash's knowledge of the area thanks to his classes, he manage to use various distinguishable trees with blood red leaves did he find the waterfall.

His mom had left him a note that had told him to come to the waterfall in the morning as soon as he could and he always was an early riser given his habit of training hard every day.

It was quite easy to tell the form of his mother when he got close and saw her sitting on the edge of the small river with a waterfall near her and the current flowing towards Lake Serenity.

"Hey mom!" Ash greeted with a warm smile. The pain and sense of loss he felt from losing his first battle as a trainer to his childhood rival no less no longer stung. Rather it more or less felt numb as if it was an even that happened a long time ago. Maybe the song helped more then he thought?

"Hello Ash." Delia turned towards him and gave him a warm smile before looking at the curious Larvitar. "How are you feeling Larvitar?"

"Lar! Larvitar!" He replied enthusiastically with a pound on his chest.

"So…mom. Why did you call us here?" He asked after taking a seat beside her.

"Well the truth is…I always planned to bring you here when you first started your journey." Delia admitted with some hesitance.

"Really? Why?" Ash couldn't help but ask and also noticed the slight hesitance in her voice. With Delia being the only family, he found it quite easy to pick-up on all her little habits and changes in body language.

"Your father…he loved this place." Delia started, pausing a bit when she heard Ash take a sharp intake of breath. "He always said that whenever he lost any battle or felt lost in life, he always came here for answers and it always helped him."

"How?" Ash asked, his gleam and excitement clearly showing in his eyes, even though his voice did not portray his emotions.

Delia pointed towards the current "Look at that Ash, what do you see?"

Ash turned to look in said direction and noticed one of the most recognizable Pokémon swimming against the current towards the waterfall. A distinct red fish with a golden grown shaped protrusion coming from the top and bottom of its body and single stranded gold colored whiskers.

"Magikarp."

Delia nodded. "Yes. Usually they have a cycle of three years where they come to a specific spot to evolve and breed although this locations is special. They are constantly migrating here to try and swim up the waterfall to get the top before leaving towards the connected ocean."

"How come?" Ash asked, confused as to what his mom was trying to say.

"They try to conquer the waterfall to see if they are worthy to evolve and become a Gyarados. However, it actually takes them months, sometimes years before they are able to do it. This was why your father loved this place."

"I don't get it."

Delia smiled in fond remembrance as she clutched her clothing above her heart but didn't portray her emotions in her voice lest she upset Ash. "He was to put it lightly…not a good Pokémon trainer nor a good aura guardian when he first started. In fact, you are far ahead of him now then how he was when he first started."

"B-But…But I thought…" Ash stuttered, startled at the revelation. His dad's power was spoken as if he was some kind of legend, a being of unparallel power. He always thought his father was born with natural talent and power that he had honed through intense training.

"You thought he was a natural born genius, right?" Ash nodded. "It's easy to think that. People like to think that's the case when they see someone so powerful and they think they can't reach that same level but it's that very thought that holds them back from their true potential."

"Just like the Magikarp never give up on their goal to reach the top of the waterfall, your father never gave up on his. He worked hard…harder than anyone I have ever seen. Day and night, he toiled alongside his Pokémon to get stronger. He pushed himself to his limits and then broke past them, setting new limits for himself to overcome. Its that same bullheaded determination that had made me fall for him in the first place." Delia couldn't help but chuckle at the memory and the warm feeling of love that overcame her.

"This place taught him the importance of defeat. You can never achieve victory if you do not experience defeat. They are two sides of the same coin and if you want you will always get the other in some shape or form, whether it be right away or sometime later."

Ash's eyes widened in realization, finally understanding just why this place meant so much for his father.

"So… my loss against Kace…it's just as important as if I had won."

"Even more important. Losses are only such when you don't learn from them. When you don't grow from them. Whenever you feel lost or you can't reach me, always remember this place for strength. Life will always put you down but it's your choice whether or not you get back up."

"…Thanks mom…for showing me this place." Ash said sincerely.

"You don't have to thank me for anything Ash. I'm glad I finally got to show this place to you." Delia replied with a smile. It was a short while later did Delia speak up again. "You can go and get ready Ash. You are starting your journey after all."

"Yeah." Ash said smiling, his heart now pounding in excitement yet also content. He felt as if he had gotten to know his dad even more now apart from all the stories and legends. "What about you mom."

"I think I'll stay here for a little while longer. Don't worry I'll catch up soon."

Ash nodded in understanding and left the area. He knew she wanted to be alone.

Once Ash left, Delia couldn't hold back the tears that flowed through her eyes as she put her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly. Her heart throbbed with pain from her husband's memory now being so fresh in her heart and his presence seemingly in the air yet knowing she would never get to hold him again.

Never get to see that goofy smile of his.

Never get to talk to him.

And Never get to tell him just how much she loved him.

* * *

**Sometime later**

* * *

Delia was currently standing near the edge of the town on the dirt road that would lead Ash to a forest and eventually to Pewter City. Ash was standing in front of her wearing loose, comfortable black jeans that went well with his red and white sneakers and the blue jacket he had on with a red shirt underneath. He also had his blue backpack on packed with everything he would need.

Ash's crimson eyes looked at the road ahead with a barely controlled excitement his journey was finally beginning. He looked at Larvitar who was beside him and could see that he too was very excited and determined.

Looking back at his mom, he saw the happiness in her eyes but also the sadness and few tears that began falling. Guilt started to fill him seeing that he would be leaving his mom alone for quite some time.

"Don't cry, mom. Send me off with a smile." Ash said as he gave her a hug.

Delia hugged him and let loose more tears. "I won't see you again for a while Ashy. Just remember to call me from time-to-time."

"I will."

A couple minutes later, the two broke off and Delia wiped her tears and gave him a warm smile. "Good luck out their Ash and be careful."

Ash nodded. "I will. Let's go Larvitar!"

The rock-type nodded and began walking beside Ash. "Bye, mom!"

"Bye Ash…" A few moments later, Ash heard the one line he knew was coming. "DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR UNDERWEAR!"

"MOM!" Ash shouted with an embarrassed face, hoping no one heard that. He ran forward with Larvitar behind him struggling to keep up.

Delia giggled as she saw Ash disappear in the distance.

Meanwhile, Ash was loving the breeze on his face and slowed down when he saw Larvitar tired from running. He looked around and saw mainly trees and the dirt road they were walking on.

"WOOHOO!" Ash shouted in the air in excitement.

His journey had begun.

* * *

**Please provide constructive criticism on how I did and what I can do to improve. Flaming will be ignored so please do not release hot air.**

**I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Root of One's Resolve

**Chapter 2: Root of One's Resolve**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon! This story is not made for nor does it make me any profit whatsoever in any shape or form. The story is made purely for entertainment purposes in the form of reading and enjoying what will hopefully be a good piece of literature.**

** It only shows the moves of the Pokémon if the trainer has captured the Pokémon as the data is taken from the Poké Ball. If the Pokémon is wild, the Pokédex won't be able to tell what moves the Pokémon knows.**

**Anyways, onto chapter 2!**

* * *

Ash looked at massive canyon he currently found himself in, the walls going up as high as a hundred meters. It had been a few hours since he left the rather small forest that had laid between the Town of Rota and this canyon, also known as Onix Canyon. As the name implied, it was home to hundreds of the Rock Snake Pokémon and the canyon itself was also large. It would take about four days of walking just to get across it assuming he didn't get himself lost.

'Where are we?' Ash asked himself as he looked at Smart Gear to try and figure out which way to head towards to get to Pewter City.

He saw the map of his current location on the screen and zoomed out a bit to get a better look. Seeing it now from what was essentially a bird's eye view, he was able to make out the general direction of where he needed to go and key landmarks to look for. 'I'm so glad they taught all of this survival training in the academy. I would be wandering blindly even with the Smart Gear if I didn't have those skills, since this place is like a giant maze.'

"Lar…" a voice full of absolute bliss came from Larvitar.

Ash looked down at his partner, wondering what had gotten him so happy. He sweat-dropped when the rock-ground type had pure ecstasy etched on his face as he was eating the dirt from the ground and was already sitting in a tiny hole. 'The Pokédex did say Larvitar eat a lot of dirt.'

"Hey Larvitar, do you want to keep eating or start going?"

"Lar? Lar Larvitar." The Pokémon replied with a few taps on his belly showing that he was full.

"Ok. Let's go." Ash then began walking with Larvitar following and he began thinking about the gym leader in Pewter City. From what his Smart Gear said, the guy's name was Brock and he was a rock-type Pokémon specialist. That would mean he probably knew a lot about Larvitar which would make the upcoming battle difficult but Larvitar did have some powerful moves in his arsenal.

'…but that didn't help against Kace…' Ash thought with an internal growl before his mom's words reached flashed in his head. 'I can't let the defeat get to me. I have to learn from it. Let's see, Larvitar is not that fast but Dragon Dance makes up for that…Power-Up Punch is a good counter to rock-types…but I can't rely on that. Gym leaders know about their Pokémon's weaknesses and cover for it…but they could also expect the challengers to know that they ways to cover for their Pokémon's weaknesses…which would mean…'

"GAH! What the hell am I thinking!" Ash said.

"Lar?!" Larvitar shouted back in response jumping at the random shout that came out of nowhere and echoed off the walls.

"Hehe…" Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. "Sorry Larvitar. I was just thinking about some stuff…" He was cut off when he felt the ground shake. At first the vibrations were soft but as the seconds passed, they grew in intensity.

Larvitar crouched down a bit to get a better feel for the vibrations and thanks to him being rock-ground type, he could tell that something was coming their way and it was getting closer. His instincts told him to run and that's just what he was going to do.

"LAR!" Larvitar pointed in the direction going away from the incoming vibrations and started running. Ash instantly got the message and began to run as well.

Not a few moments later, an Onix burst out of the ground around twenty meters behind them. The two kept running as fast as they could but Ash saw that there was no way they would be able to out-run the massive snake made of interconnected boulders.

"LARVITAR! JUMP TO THE SIDE!" Ash shouted trying to get his voice across to Larvitar through the roars of the Onix despite being only a few feet apart.

Larvitar nodded and jumped to the side, towards the walls of the canyon and Ash did the same. They saw the Onix rush past them and disappear in the distance.

The two heavily panted, not from exhaustion but from being so startled like that out of nowhere.

"Larvitar! Lar lar tar!" Larvitar said angrily but kept his voice down.

Ash gave his partner an apologetic look. "Sorry about that Larvitar. I'll make sure to keep quiet from now on."

Larvitar could feel the sincerity in his partner's apology and gazed at him before giving a small smile and nod. "Lar."

"Thanks. Now let's get to that river." Larvitar nodded and the two began walking in the same direction they had been running and thus had managed to cover some ground in the right direction.

As they were walking, Ash decided it was time he discussed his training plans with his partner given that nothing else was on his mind at the moment except for his loss against Kace.

"Hey Larvitar, I was thinking that for your training, we can begin with practicing on perfecting your moves and increasing your stamina and speed since you already have a lot of strength and defensive powers." Larvitar nodded and smacked his chest in a show of power, proud of his partner's compliments. "I think for now, I'll work on what the instructor had said and improve my aura control but the academy level exercises aren't going to cut it so I need to use the advanced ones from the book. I also need to start reading in on how I should get started on being able to access my Muladhara and Manipura. Not only that but I have to change my fighting style to use my legs and feet a bit more. I think the Infernape style should already be included in my aura book."

Larvitar didn't know about the specifics on aura so simply stayed silent for the last bit.

"I think if we stay by the river, we should be pretty safe since Onix can't stand water. We can use nearby boulders to practice your moves while I train with you." Larvitar nodded and the two continued to walk.

Eventually, they walked through a sharp turn in the canyon causing them to freeze in fright at what they saw. They would have been happy that the river was in vision range however…there was a massive Onix, sleeping only twenty feet away from them. The Onix was probably around one-and-a-half times larger then a normal Onix which was saying quite a lot given the species' massive size.

But that was not even the scariest part.

No what was scarier was that they saw a yellow Pokémon with web like feet, a big round beak, a small tail and hands clutching his or her head, walking back and fourth from the head of the Onix to around the middle of its body which was laid out on the ground. Ash instantly recognized the Pokémon as Psyduck as he had seen plenty of them before but this one seemed to have a death wish considering she – gender was recognizable since she had two thick hair like protrusions from the head while males had three – was banging her head on the Onix in set intervals.

Ash and Larvitar looked at the Onix, just waiting for the immense rock type to wake up in an angry rage for having its sleep disturbed. They looked at each other being able to sense how tense the other was. When a minute passed and they saw the Onix wasn't looking to wake up anytime soon, they decided it was time they make a quiet but quick get away. They knew better then to try and take on what looked like an extremely powerful Pokémon given the numerous scars and marks throughout the boulders that made up its body.

Ash began tip-toeing past Onix with Larvitar following closely behind him, taking great care in not making a single sound. Ash stopped when he saw the Psyduck continuously walk back and fourth, past them, banging her head on the Onix without a care in the world.

"We should take her with us before she ends up being turned into a pancake." Whispered Ash to which Larvitar nodded, knowing there was no way that Psyduck would be able to survive a rampaging Onix even with her type advantage.

Ash then waited for Psyduck to walk towards them and when she was right beside him, getting ready to bang her head once more, Ash scooped her in his arms and quickly began to walk forward but taking care in minimizing any noise he may create.

"Pssy?" Psyduck said with a tilt of her head as she gazed at Ash with a creepy drone like stare.

Ash brought her up so that he could look at her dead in the eyes even though her gaze made his skin crawl a bit. "Listen Psyduck. I'm just trying to help you. If you wake up that Onix you could be in serious danger. We'll get out of here and then you can go wherever you like ok?"

"Pssssy?" Psyduck simply responded with a tilt of her head. She then leaned forward a bit and poked Ash on the forehead with her round beak.

"What are you doing?" Psyduck poked him again. "Stop that." She didn't listen. "Stop that!" She poked him one last time. "I said stop that!" Ash said just a bit more forcefully but, in a whisper.

Ash's eyes widened for a second when he saw the Pokémon open her beak and a small ball of water formed at the back of her throat. Knowing that some type of water attack was coming, Ash instinctively moved his head to the side and moved Psyduck a bit, avoiding the stream of highly pressurized water. Psyduck fired again and Ash titled his head to the other side to dodge.

"Please stop that Psyduck. I'm just trying to help you."

"Lar." Larvitar added, trying to convince Psyduck to stop attacking his partner.

"**Grrr…**"

Ash and Larvitar felt a very unpleasant tingling sensation run throughout their body. Their instincts were screaming for them to run and when they turned to look at the source of the rumbling growl filled with rage along with loud sounds of what seemed like boulders to be shifting, they knew their instincts were right.

Turning their heads around, they saw the bloodshot eyes of the Onix they had passed, no doubt from being woken due to Psyduck's Water Gun attacks accidently hitting him.

"**RAWGHH!**"

The massive roar was the final straw for Ash and Larvitar as they began sprinting towards the massive river they could see in the distance. However, their speed was nothing to what the massive rock type could reach, plus his mass allowed the Pokémon to reach the two in just a few moments.

Onix slammed his tail trying to smack the two but they managed to jump and roll out of the way just in time.

Ash gazed at the enraged Onix and their surroundings while holding Psyduck in his right arm. 'How do we get out of this? There is no way me or Larvitar can outrun it. Fighting back is out of the question since Onix can probably knock us out in one hit…or worse. We need to create a distraction to…' Ash was broken out of his split-second thoughts when he saw Psyduck launch another Water Gun attack towards Onix.

Onix roared as the attack hit right on his head causing a decent amount of damage but also increasing its rage. The rock-ground type threw the water type a down right murderous stare and opened his mouth, gathering blue-greenish colored energy.

'Psyduck really does have a death wish…'

Onix launched the Dragon Breath attack and Ash quickly reacted, making a big leap backwards, avoiding the attack.

"Lar!" Larvitar shouted as he ran to his partner who was standing behind the large amount of dust that was kicked up.

Ash didn't bother responding and decided to use this opportunity to pick up Larvitar although a bit slowly due to his weight. He then concentrated and reached for his Muladhara, imagining a red swirl of energy and felt his muscles stiffen a bit. Feeling the power in his body, Ash ran as fast as he could but heavily slowed down by his partner's weight.

Ash's instincts and aura was the only thing that kept him from being crushed as he took a powerful leap onto the canyon walls to avoid Onix ramming into them from behind. He then leaped off of the walls onto the ground, over Onix's body.

Onix left Ash no time to think as his tail glowed a metallic silver color and was launched towards him.

Ash dropped to the ground and watched as the Iron Tail attack flew an inch above his face.

"Larvitar hurry and use Dragon Dance as many times as you can and keep dodging Onix." Ash commanded.

Larvitar immediately complied and began channeling draconic energy through his body, toughening his muscles and fueling them with incredible amounts of energy, while his body was surrounded by black and crimson wisps.

Onix's fury was reaching untold heights as he saw his attacks continuously miss. He slammed his glowed tail onto the ground causing it to shake as shockwaves were spread throughout the area.

Ash and Larvitar struggled to hold their balance but when they felt the ground under them shift a little bit, they instantly jumped forward narrowly dodging a blue glowing spike of rock. The ground under where they landed also started shifting and just like last time they managed to dodge another incoming spike.

The two continued to dodge the attacks and Ash noted how Larvitar was significantly faster, over twice his normal speed. "Larvitar, if Onix comes in for a close-range attack, try and aim a Power-Up Punch right on his head. After that, run!"

"Lar!" The rock-ground type's right arm began to take a white glow while his body was surrounded by a red aura. He could feel his muscles power-up even further as more energy was pumped through them.

Like Ash predicted, the enraged Onix charged towards them, no doubt intending to crush them with a Body Slam.

Ash and Larvitar crouched down and just as the Onix was a few meters away from them, they leaped into the air. Larvitar immediately let loose his punch, striking Onix right in between his eyes just as the rock-ground type was passing under them. Psyduck helpfully let loose a Water Gun attack right at one of Onix's eyes.

Ash and Larvitar landed back on the ground as the Onix flew past them and crashed into the canyon walls, kicking up dust. The two used this opportunity to instantly start running towards the river with Larvitar easily able to keep up with Ash's top speed.

'Looks like Onix was dazed by the attack. Maybe the head is the weak spot?' Ash thought as the two rapidly closed the distance between them and the river. Just as they reached the river, a roar came from behind them as they saw Onix charging at them.

"Larvitar get back into your Poké Ball. I'm going to dive into the river." Ash said to which Larvitar nodded. Once he was back inside his ball, Ash with Psyduck in hand, dove into the river.

Onix's eyes widened a bit as he slowed down and eventually skidded to a stop right in front of the river and simply began to wait for the human to resurface since he knew they could not survive in water for long.

From under the water, Ash saw the waving and blurred image of Onix simply waiting for him to resurface. Knowing that he could not hold his breath forever, Ash began swimming down stream while making sure to stay completely submerged. He saw that there was no space for the Onix to follow him since the river was right in between two high canyon walls.

As the distance between him and Onix increased, Ash started to relax just a bit more but continued to swim at his full speed. Eventually, after a minute he ran out of air and came out of the water, gasping for air.

He swam over to the shore and barely managed to bring himself out of the water, just now realizing how exhausted he was from the ordeal with Onix as the adrenaline was leaving his system. He idly noted how Psyduck had been oddly calm and was currently giving him a drone like stare as he lied uncomfortably on his backpack, gazing at the sky.

Larvitar shot out of his ball and stood beside Ash. "Lar? Larvitar."

Ash gave Larvitar a tired smile. "I'm alright Larvitar, just tired. How about you?"

"Vitar." Larvitar nodded his head.

Ash smiled. "That's good. How about you Psyduck?"

"Psssy?" Psyduck tilted her head in confusion.

Ash managed to push himself up and take off his backpack. "Are you hurt?"

Psyduck kept her tilted head and drone like stare but she understood the question. In response she simply pointed at Ash.

This time it was Ash who was confused. "Huh? Is there something on me?" Ash said as he inspected his person. It was then he noticed the numerous scraps on his arms, some of which were bleeding. This was no doubt from dodging Onix's attacks during which his skin contacted the ground several times.

"Larvitar. Tar tar." Larvitar said in concern.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Ash said but did finally start to feel a stinging sensation from his wounds. He opened his backpack which was thankfully waterproof as it was built for traveling. However, his clothes weren't so lucky so once he brought out the first aid kit from his backpack, he took off the majority of his clothing, leaving only his black boxers on.

Opening the first aid kid, he proceeded to do as he was taught and first cleaned the wound with water from the river and disinfectants before placing various sized bandages on the scrapes. Once he was done he took out some potions and sprayed them on Larvitar's bruises before doing the same to Psyduck.

"That was something eh? Psyduck, why were you trying to wake up that Onix?" Ash asked as he proceeded to set up camp.

Ash received a flat drone like stare in response while Larvitar merely laid on the ground, also tired from the whole ordeal but also internally very impressed with his partner. Stories from other Pokémon in the Forest of Harmony, made him believe that humans were extremely frail and always relied on their Pokémon should problems come fourth. Of course, he knew that aura guardians commanded a fierce power but not really having seen one in battle made him still believe that humans were very weak.

The events in the Forest and the current situation he had faced with his partner began to change his opinions while simultaneously increasing his respect for his partner. He threw himself in harms way to save him from falling the first time and this time he saved the Psyduck with no hesitation and more importantly, no reason to do so. He had just reacted out of concern for the water-type and that just began to cement his loyalty to his human partner who rose to new heights in his eyes.

Not to mention the fact that Ash didn't seem the least bit angry at Psyduck for placing them in that life-threatening situation in the first place.

Meanwhile, Psyduck was also contemplating the strange human that had interrupted her when she was inspecting those strange boulders. The human had grabbed her and then ran around with her avoiding the strange moving boulders before jumping into the water. It was strange that he did not try to capture her in those strange round spheres she had been sucked into not to long ago but managed to break free. She wanted to investigate more of this strange human.

As Larvitar and Psyduck was lost in thought about Ash, said aura user was just about finished setting up the tent and fire place but given that there were no trees around and hence no source of fire, Ash materialized the emergency supply from his TSD making a note to himself to resupply on it when he was in the forest.

Starting the fire, Ash took out the took book from his backpack and started to read how to make tasty and nutritious food for Pokémon. Trainers often neglected giving Pokémon the proper nutrition for optimal growth and mainly opted to give them pre-prepared cans of Pokémon food with artificial flavor since it was more convenient. Just like for people, nutrition heavily affected Pokémon and their growth.

Ash followed the steps while he read and took out pellets of Pokémon food from the TSD along with several berries and jars filled with various shades of a brown liquids. He followed the procedure to the letter and made two bowls of Pokémon food, one specifically for water types and the other for rock-ground types. Both of them were mixed with a different mixture of minced berries and spoons of nutritious liquid from the jars – protein, key vitamins and minerals, etc.

"Larvitar, Psyduck, come and eat." Said Ash to which the two Pokémon were broken out of their thoughts. They walked over to the bowls of food Ash had laid out for them and began eating them. Once Larvitar took the first bite, he began eating at a much quicker pace, enjoying the taste of the Pokémon food. Psyduck however, took the first minute or so simply poking the Pokémon food with her beak or taking a pellet that was covered in the minced berries and nutritious goop, inspecting it. When she ate it, she began to inspect another pellet and the pattern continued, slowly gaining speed.

Ash sweat-dropped at Psyduck's antics and proceeded to take out a prepared lunch his mom had made for him consisting of a plate filled with beans, vegetables, sweet potatoes, tofu, along with a glass of milk. He would only have a week before he would have to cook his own meals but until then, he planned on enjoying his mom's cooking.

'This taste's so good!' Ash thought as the flavour of the healthy meal made him eat at a rapid pace. His mom always found the perfect blend between incredible taste and very healthy food that contained all the nutrients a growing teen like him would need. 'I hope I can make food that tastes this good later…'

Once they were done their meal, Ash used the river to clean up the dishes and place them back in the TSD. Seeing that his clothes would take quite a while to dry especially in the humid atmosphere due to the river and them being at the bottom of a canyon, Ash decided now was a good time to get some training done.

It was still mid-afternoon and this would be a good place to camp for the night since they were right by a water source.

"Hey Larvitar, after about two hours, let's do some intense training ok?"

"Lar!" Larvitar nodded and pumped his fist excited for some training but at the moment his belly was very full.

Ash then looked at Psyduck who was simply giving him another drone-like stare, not showing any emotions on her face. "Psyduck…you can go now if you want to, you just need to be careful from now on ok?"

"Pssy…" was Psyduck's reply before she walked forward and then began to bang her head on Ash causing another sweat-drop.

"Do you want to stay with me?" Ash asked wondering if that's what she wanted. To be honest he liked this Psyduck and wanted her on his team despite her antics.

"Psy…"

"Larvitar…can you tell her what I mean." Ash asked not exactly understanding what Psyduck was trying to say.

Larvitar nodded and proceeded to talk to Psyduck who didn't say a word throughout their entire conversation. After Larvitar was done, the water type looked between Ash and Larvitar and gave a simple nod.

"Larvitar! Lar lar." Larvitar said to Ash with a happy nod.

Ash grinned. "So, Psyduck you want to come with me?" Psyduck nodded before walking to him and banging her head on his leg again.

Ash chuckled and knelt down and looked into her eyes. "I'm going to connect with you using an aura bond ok."

Psyduck simply stared at him and Ash took this as an ok to proceed considering she had agreed to join him. He began to concentrate and focus his aura, pouring it out from his heart and reaching for Psyduck.

Larvitar watched with fascination again as he saw the stream of white energy come out of his partner's chest and connect with Psyduck's chest.

Psyduck's eyes widened just a bit at the sudden phantom sensation of various emotions such as happiness, joy, a bit of pain and a fierce will. Meanwhile, Ash felt a mild migraine along with an unending sensation of immense curiosity of the world around him.

The moment eventually passed and the two looked at each other, now having a better understanding of the other. Ash now could feel the connection between him and Psyduck but just like the one with Larvitar it felt a bit hollow but he understood that it would take time for trust to be built between the two. He did slightly notice how his connection with Larvitar seemed a bit a different now then before. The hollow feeling seemed to have lessened a bit.

Ash pushed back those thoughts for now and took out a Harmonic Ball and proceeded it to hold it in front of Psyduck. "Just tap here and you'll officially be part of this family."

Rather then tapping the ball, Psyduck banged her head on it despite having a bit of apprehension due to her encounter with a similar device but given how this human had acted around her, she didn't feel threatened in anyway.

When she was transformed into red energy and sucked in, Psyduck felt a lot different compared to the other ball she had been in. She did not feel any sort of restrain on herself but felt something strange as if she was being asked whether she accepted this capture or not. She could feel that with a single thought of defiance, she would be immediately be expelled from the Poké Ball. This feeling of being given a choice made her even more curious about his human and decided to accept the capture.

Ash's grin widened even more when the ball gave the signature ding indicating that Psyduck was officially captured and part of his team. "Awesome!" Ash said with glee before releasing Psyduck. "Welcome to the family." Ash smiled at the water type. "Oh, yeah. I should scan you with the Pokédex."

**[Psyduck – The Duck Pokémon. Psyduck are suffering from a constant headache as a result of the mysterious psychic power that dwells within them. This headache seems to go away after their evolution into a Golduck. This mysterious psychic power has a side effect of making Psyduck suffer from memory loss and as a result forgetting about their psychic abilities.**

**This Psyduck is female.**

**Psyduck knows the following moves: Water Gun, Confusion, Refresh, Scratch, Hypnosis. Egg moves Cross-Chop and Confuse Ray are currently unavailable.]**

Ash was really impressed with the move set as it provided Psyduck quite a bit of utility in terms of getting out of tough situations. Refresh was a very good move since it basically removed paralysis, burns and poison while Hypnosis was good at putting Pokémon to sleep but the move itself was slow and required good timing to land.

'I should probably have Psyduck practice her moves like Larvitar will be doing and then improve their stamina.'

"Lar! Larvitar lar lar!"

Larvitar's shout of annoyance and anger broke Ash from his thoughts. He sweat dropped again as he saw Psyduck was trying to bang her head on Larvitar's head along with poking him with her beak on occasion.

'I have a feeling that this is going to happen often from now on…' Ash thought before he picked up Psyduck. "Now Psyduck, please don't do that to Larvitar or any other Pokémon we come across. We don't want any accidents like the one with that Onix to happen again."

"Psyduck?" The water type said with a tilt of her head.

Ash heard the confusion in her tone and mentally sighed. He knew she was going to be a handful. "Now, why don't we just relax for a couple hours ok?"

He then placed a comfortable fluffy blanket on the ground which he laid down on with Larvitar following. Psyduck however decided to start poking the blanket with her beak but given its round shape, there was no danger of the cloth being ripped.

Ash chuckled at the two. 'I'm finally a trainer.' He still couldn't believe it he was finally on a journey. All those years of non-stop training, hard work in the academy and generally rarely ever leaving Rota except when going to Indigo Plateau to watch conferences made it a bit hard to believe that he was finally setting out to see the world. His dream now awaited him at the end of long road ahead.

He looked at the sky and saw a big rainbow seemingly being formed from nowhere but when he concentrated, he saw a large bird flying in the sky. "Hey Larvitar. Psyduck. Look in the sky, its Ho-oh."

The two looked where he was pointing and had separate reactions. Larvitar had a shocked look on his face before it changed to one of respect and he bowed his head. Psyduck however, simply gave the flying bird a drone like stare but with a strange gleam in her eyes. Not a moment later she began to seemingly try and jump off the ground in an attempt to fly to go after the bird.

Ash bowed his head in respect much like Larvitar as a sign of respect and awe. Ho-oh had always been a constant sight for everyone in Rota as the Pokémon flew over the town and Palace about every two years or so. According to their history books, this had been going on for centuries and it was eventually discovered that Ho-oh went to the Tree of Beginning in order to rest before continuing to fly over the world.

Ash took out his Smart Gear in order to read more on Ho-oh and the legendary Pokémon's myths while he waited for his food to digest. He forgot some of the things he had learned in class about the mythical Pokémon and wanted to brush up on the information.

**[Ho-oh, The Rainbow Pokémon**

**Ho-oh is a legendary Pokémon that has been rumored to hold the power over life. According to Johto legends and myths, Ho-oh burns its old body every millennium before reappearing as an egg and eventually hatching. This Pokémon has been rarely sighted throughout history and the last known appearance was in the Tin Tower.**

**In ancient times, a small war had broken out in Ecruteak City in which the Tin Tower had burned down and along with it three Pokémon perished. However, it is said the Ho-oh appeared and raised the three Pokémon from their ashes – relating to Ho-oh's power - giving them life. These three Pokémon are known as Suicune, Raikou and Entei. Ho-oh was also said to have burned all the weapons used in the war using rose-colored flames. From the ashes of these weapons, the barren wasteland that had surrounded Ecruteak City for decades changed into a fertile paradise. One rose-colored flame that continued to burn had been discovered from the forest not soon after and was then preserved in a shrine built in an isolated spot near Mt. Silver in order to keep the eternal flame of Ho-oh safe.**

**This flame has been rumoured to hold an ancient power and many throughout the centuries have tried their best to get their hands on it, either to sell it or harness this unknown power. But any and all attempts had always been thwarted by the guardian of the flame and surrounding Pokémon as well as interference from the aura users of Cameran Palace.]**

Ash continued to read the text for a while, getting a bit lost in the rich history of the legendary Pokémon. While he had never been interested in reading and often fell asleep when trying to study, any reading material that actually got his interest, made him read a bit longer then he normally would be able to handle.

"That's enough reading for today." Ash put away the Smart Gear and decided to think of different training methods for his Pokémon and himself. From everything he learned in the academy, he knew he had to give his body time to digest the food he had eaten before doing intense training otherwise he could end up harming himself. Pokémon however varied from case to case but it was generally a rule of thumb that it was better to wait before training.

So, Ash went into thought about now straying away from pure body-weight exercises and start to use resistance bands to start building more muscle. Weight and gravity training were a lot more advanced and would only start when he stopped growing.

'It's a good thing I bought those bands.' Thought Ash as it was one of the things he had bought in anticipation of his journey and wanting to be prepared for it. Stuff in the TSD had been all thought up by his mom but he did pack equipment he knew was useful to bring along as well and since the TSD was full or nearly full, he packed it into his backpack.

'I could increase Larvitar and Psyduck's stamina by tying a rock to them and making them walk while they carried around that extra weight…maybe I can do that as well! Training constantly while traveling!' He thought, as a giddy feeling washed over his body as, what he thought was a brilliant idea, came to his head. 'Of course, I better ask him if their okay with it…'

"Hey Larvitar, Psyduck." The two Pokémon looked at Ash. "I was wondering what you both would think of this training method. I would tie a rock to you with a rope and I would tie one to myself as well. We can then try training and with the added resistance we could increase our stamina."

"Larvitar! Lar lar vitar!" The rock-ground type roared in excitement at the sound of the intense training. Becoming stronger was very appealing to him.

"Pssy?" Psyduck replied in her signature confused tone although Ash could tell that she was curious about what he was suggesting. Probably not out of any desire to get stronger but the same simple curiosity that seemed to constantly fill her.

'I hope she doesn't start headbutting the rock…' Ash thought with a sweat-drop as he imagined the water type doing just that.

Ash then got up on his feet and took out his Smart Gear to use the map to navigate through this new canyon pathway he found himself in after swimming downstream. "Larvitar, stay here and keep an eye on Psyduck. I'm going to go look around for some boulders."

"Larvitar, lar lar." Larvitar said with a concerned tone.

Ash understood his partner's worry given the recent situation they faced. "Don't worry Larvitar. I'll be close bye. Just make sure Psyduck doesn't end up waking up more Onix's…" Larvitar gave Ash a small incredulous look "and I'll make sure to stay quiet."

Larvitar nodded and turned to Psyduck as the two began what would be a long staring contest. Ash took this que to leave and wander around searching for some various sized rocks and boulders for training. He knew Larvitar could handle a lot of weight given the rock-ground type's already immense one hundred fifty-pound weight. Psyduck however was nowhere near as physically powerful and hence wouldn't be able to handle too much resistance.

For himself, he knew that he could handle a good amount but it would mostly be trial and error. It didn't take too long for Ash to find various sized rocks that would be perfect for the training he had in mind. He then began to take them one-by-one back to his campsite which was thankfully close by since the bigger ones did put a strain on his body.

A short while later, Ash was standing in front of Larvitar looking at the rocks with intensity while Psyduck was walking around them with a curious but drone-like gaze.

"Ok, that's the last of it. Now time to bring out some rope and tie the rocks to us before beginning training." Ash proceeded to do just that starting with himself and took out some rope from his backpack and carefully tied it around the boulder and then around himself with only about a couple meters between himself and the boulder he thought was perfect for him.

He then did the same to Larvitar and Psyduck, the latter taking a bit longer since he had to do a bit of trial error since he didn't know the full capabilities of her physical strength. Once he was done, Psyduck began to headbutt the rock just like Ash predicted.

He sweat-dropped a bit but managed to get her attention when he spoke. "Hey Psyduck, are you alright with this type of training?"

"Psy?"

'I have a feeling that I'll rarely ever get a concrete response from her if ever.' He thought before looking at the water-type and then the rock-ground type.

"Well let's do this first. Psyduck, you use Water Gun on that boulder and try to crack it and once you manage to do that try moving the rocks with Confusion, increasing the weight you carry with your mind each time. Larvitar you practice using your Power-Up Punch and Body Slam attack on the large boulder. Once you two manage to do that, run up to that small rock there…" Ash pointed down the narrow corridor of the canyon they were in were a small pointy rock was sitting around thirty feet away. "and then back and keep doing this until you can't."

"LARVITAR!" Larvitar roared and immediately went to do just that but struggled quite a bit with the added weight and just had trouble putting momentum behind his attacks, lessening their power quite a bit. Of course, Ash's words kept ringing in his ears and the defeat he suffered at the hands of the Bagon which fueled the fire that burned in his heart.

Ash smiled at his starter who was training hard before turning to his water type partner. Psyduck was also practicing her Water Gun attack and was having more success at getting cracks on the boulders then her teammate but they were not that strong or begin with due to Ash's strength limit. Plus, the sheer pressure behind the small jet stream of water was not to be underestimate given how lethal it could be if accidently used against a normal person without any aura training.

Ash chuckled at the thought that the water-type was probably attacking mainly out of curiosity at what would happen to the boulder if she continued to fire Water Gun at it and partially because he requested it.

Ash decided it was time he get to his own training which was something he always did in the morning but given that he had to collect his exam results today early in the morning and then his battle…and loss against Kace, he hadn't had the time. So, he went through his usual regime of training the layers that he could actually do at the moment along with doing heavy physical conditioning which was made only tougher by the heavy boulder he had tied to him. It was even tougher when he had to do exercises that require traveling any sort of distance due to the incredible friction the boulder added.

He still needed to read the books he had been given to actually begin his Muladhara and Manipura specific training but again he hadn't gotten the time yet and he had been impatient in getting some training done. Plus, it just felt…wrong to Ash if he ever skipped a day of training, having gotten into the habit of doing it long ago. The academy found it prudent to place these training habits and other good habits in kids starting at a young age simply for the sake that it had helped them a lot throughout their life time as they were always healthy.

And even if Ash didn't have the habit of training everyday, the fire within him to reach his dreams would have burned him from the inside out if he didn't give it his all.

"Seventy…s-s-six…seventy…s-seven." Panted Ash as he did push-ups with the boulder balanced on his upper-back.

His body ached in agony while his muscles were more then ready to give out from sheer exhaustion but Ash just could not give in to his body's demands. His mind kept wandering around the loss with Kace. He didn't blame Larvitar for losing that battle.

'I'm the one who lost that battle. I was weak. But not ever again. I'm going to push my-self past my breaking point again and again until I reach the same level of strength dad had. Then…I will pass that too!' Ash roared in his head, his blood boiling and his will seemingly acting as a source of power for his body to keep on pushing.

Larvitar and Psyduck could watch in awe…well awe for Larvitar and more so curiosity and interest for Psyduck, as their partner pushed himself so hard. They could see his hands shaking whenever he pushed himself back up. His legs quivered every time he took a step forward, dragging the boulder along. No matter how slowly he had managed to push against the added weight and past his own exhaustion.

It was inspiring to say the least. They both had long since run out of stamina and the energy to continue their training, but seeing their trainer like this…it filled them with a determination that clouded their mind from the fact that their body was too tired to move wanting to continue training like Ash. But of course, no matter one's will, their body had limits and Larvitar, Psyduck and even Ash was no exception to this fact.

The teen pushed with all his might to complete this last lap between the camp and the small pointy rock and when he finished, his legs gave in and he collapsed on all fours. Ash gasped for air, his lungs starving for the oxygen so that it could carry out its normal energy production and proceed to heal the damage that had been done to his muscles from the training. His heavy breathing continued for minutes while sweat dripped down his rather nice and toned body show a decent amount of muscles, far above average compared to normal fifteen-year old's but it was a given for the majority of aura users. His boxers were also quite wet from the sweat but he could care less about that, more fixated on taking in as much as air as he could with each breath.

Soon, he turned to lie down on his back and simply gazed at the twinkling stars of the night sky along with the full moon.

"Lar?"

"Psy?"

Ash turned to the two Pokémon who no longer had the rocks tied to them courtesy of Ash earlier and were standing near him, with concerned looks.

"I don't think I've ever pushed myself that hard before." Ash said with a chuckle feeling…wonderful. The feeling of exhaustion, worn out muscles, covered in sweat and knowing he pushed himself so hard in training, it felt amazing to him.

Larvitar looked at Psyduck with confusion and Psyduck simply gazed at their laughing trainer who was happy despite being almost too tired to move another inch. They didn't say another word as Ash continued chuckling, enjoying the aftereffects of an intense training session.

It was around fifteen minutes later did he find the strength to get back up. "I'm going to take a short bath and then prepare dinner ok guys. Relax until then."

Ash then slowly walked over the river and grabbed a bar of soap from his bag along the way and cleaned himself but faced some difficulty given his aching muscles. Afterwards he started preparing dinner for his Pokémon following the cook book which emphasized greater amounts of protein for aftereffect meals.

His Pokémon were taking a nap while he prepared it, their exhausted bodies pulling them into a comfortable sleep. When Ash was done, he walked over to wake them up.

"Hey Larvitar…Psyduck. Wake up." He cooed in a soft and gentle voice while gently rubbing the two Pokémon's cheeks, much like how his mom had usually done for him. The Pokémon stirred before gazing at him with sleepy eyes. "Time to eat some dinner. You can sleep afterwards ok?"

"Pssssyyyyy…"

"Larrrrrr…"

The two Pokémon yawned and then walked over to their bowls of food near the fire and ate out of it. The good taste of the food chased away their sleep for a bit and eventually finished the meal along with Ash who was eating his home prepared meal.

Larvitar and Psyduck instantly fell asleep afterwards thanks to the warmth radiating from the fire.

Ash chuckled and washed the dishes before placing the two Pokémon on their soft blankets beside his tent. He then settled in his sleeping bag inside his tent which had a clear plastic covering at the top part allowing him to see part of the night sky.

Despite his exhaustion from training, his mind was still quite energetic and he knew he would not be falling asleep anytime soon. So, to pass the time, he brought out the aura books Sir Riley had given him since he knew he had to familiarize himself with advanced aura training techniques to further improve and hone his skills and work on his weaknesses.

Opening the first book which was a guide on using one's aura as a whole, Ash looked through the table of contents to find the advanced aura control and shape manipulation exercises since the first few chapters mainly consisted of what aura was and how one could bring it out which he already knew.

The first section he read was regarding aura control.

**_Aura control: Advanced_**

_At this point, you should be able to easily bring out your aura and form some of the basic abilities such as an **Aura Shield **and **Aura Sphere. **From this point forward, aura control will become very important and should be incorporated into your training daily. Not a single day should go by without aura control training._

_Aura control effects two things. One is your ability to efficiently use aura which is a form of energy, to perform abilities precisely such that minimal aura is wasted. Often times, aura is wasted when performing abilities due to a lack of control over the energy and manipulating it to do the exact task you want it to without expending more aura then what is required. The second thing that aura control effects is your ability to perform very advanced abilities and spells that require a very specific way of moulding and manipulating your aura._

_Note that one's control over aura and their overall aura reserves are inversely proportional. This case is brought to the extreme for Manipura users as they tend to have a large amount of aura but little control over it, hindering them from using any delicate or specific abilities. Hence, they should focus on aura control training more and try to move into expert and master level aura control exercises as soon as they are able to do the exercises of previous levels to the point of it being natural. _

_Here are a couple of advance aura control exercises:_

**_Palm Balancing:_**_ Use a thin object of at least thirty centimeters in length and balance it on your palm. Use your aura to try to firmly hold the object in place. When you feel the object tipping, focus your aura at a specific point to try and balance the object but DO NOT move your hand to balance it as this will defeat the purpose of this exercise. This exercise requires minimal aura use and thus can be done for extended periods of time, even while moving around thus allowing for quite a lot of improvement for beginners._

**_Leaf Sticking:_**_ Start with one leaf and place it on your forehead. Then use your aura to stick the leaf to your forehead and keep it there. This is done by covering the leaf in a thin continuous stream of aura and holding it place. This exercise requires minimal aura use and thus can be done for extended periods of time, even while moving around thus allowing for quite a lot of improvement for beginners._

Under the exercises, Ash read through the instructions and diagrams that showed precisely how the aura should be controlled during the exercises to achieve the desired result of the respective exercises. Upon finishing this small section of advanced aura control exercises he went on to read shape manipulation exercises.

**_Shape manipulation: Advanced_**

_Shape manipulation is particularly important when performing abilities that require your aura be moulded into a specific form. The Aura Sphere is in fact mainly shape manipulation in its most basic form. The following advance training should only be done when you are able to make an Aura Sphere instinctively._

_Shape manipulation plays a key role in not just performing abilities and manipulating your aura to take a specific shape, it helps train the layer of aura you are connected too. It is especially useful for Manipura users as Manipura mainly revolves around moulding the energy according to the user's imagination. Furthermore, shape manipulation also helps in converting your respective layer to the element it is tuned with (this process also involves lots of aura control)._

_Note that having good aura control helps immensely with the following exercise, however shape manipulation takes up quite a bit of aura in a short period of time. This exercise should not be done if you do not have a sufficiently large aura reserve. Ask a senior aura user for permission to perform the exercise._

_Here is the advanced shape manipulation exercise:_

**_Rotating Ring:_**_ Similarly, to when you make an Aura Sphere, you will be manipulating your aura to now make a ring of energy approximately the same size as your Aura Sphere. The process is almost the exact same as the majority of converting the energy into a ring instead of a sphere being reliant on your imagination and will but making a ring will be much harder due to the complex shape when compared to a sphere. Once you are able to make a ring, start rotating the ring in a direction and increase the speed as much as you can without the ring dissipating. Continue to increase the speed while also trying to make the ring smaller._

Ash then carefully read through the instructions and analyzed the diagrams, understanding the various steps of the procedure. By the time he was done, his tiredness was finally catching up to him, signalled by an exhausted yawn. He placed the book away and snuggled into his sleeping bag drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Ash woke up feeling refreshed and relax at the wonderful sleep which despite only being six hours in length, was one of the best he ever had. It was surprising to be honest since he had expected him to be uncomfortable sleeping in the wild after having a bed for his entire life but this was not the case.

Regardless, Ash went through his daily rituals along with his morning aura training since he wanted to get out of his canyon as soon as possible and reach the forest north of Pewter City. Being in this canyon was extremely dangerous, especially given his beginner status as a trainer, despite his experience and knowledge gained from the academy. He knew he had been incredibly lucky when he escaped that ferocious Onix with his life and only a couple scrapes and had no intention of going through that again.

He figured he probably wouldn't get some much training done given that he would travel a lot by day and only stop when it was time to set up camp. After some time, he was finished his morning aura training and body workout which consisted of various versions of push-ups, burpees, squats, lunges and a whole slew of other unique exercises that targeted his shoulders and back using his body-weight and resistance bands. He didn't incorporate any Manipura or Muladhara specific training since he hadn't had the chance to read through the books Sir Riley had given him.

He did however try out the aura control and shape manipulation exercises he read about last night. The leaf sticking exercise was not something he could do at the moment given that there were no leaves around. He did manage to do the palm balancing using an umbrella that was in his back-pack. He discovered that while it seemed very easy to do when he had read about it, it was in fact much harder. Ash barely managed to balance the umbrella using his aura for more then two seconds before it tipped over.

A short while after getting frustrated over his failure, Ash decided he would continue this while walking after they got out of the canyon. He then moved onto the Rotating Ring exercise which actually turned out better then what he expected since the book had stated that this was quite the difficult exercise. However, he had managed to make a fairly large doughnut shape after concentrating and even add a little spin to the ring but that's when the ring destabilized and faded out of existence. Ash suspected his success in this exercise was probably because of his connection with Manipura.

After he had finished with his training, he moved onto making breakfast for his Pokémon while he had helped himself to a prepared hot bowl of oatmeal that was cinnamon flavoured with various berries. By the time he was done eating, Larvitar and Psyduck had finally woken up, making him think that they really did need an increase in stamina but they weren't exactly like him who had done physical and aura training for years.

"Good morning Larvitar. Psyduck. Come here and have your breakfast." Ash said kindly at the two yawning Pokémon.

They walked over and began eating rather slowly at first but the food eventually began to chase away their sleep. Ash had packed away the camp while they were eating and once they were done, washed their bowls too. By the time he was done, both Pokémon were looking much more awake and alert.

"We need to get out of this canyon as soon as possible. Its not safe with how many Onix are rumoured to live here. Tell me when you get tired of walking. I'll put you back inside your Poké Ball." Larvitar nodded while Psyduck stared at him. They began to walk behind him as he began to navigate the canyon with his Smart Gear open.

A few hours into their journey, they came across a pathway that was blocked by a large stack of boulders that went as high as twenty feet. Ash noticed something distinctly odd and also very familiar about all those boulders. Not only that but he saw that there were large chunks of the surrounding walls seemingly missing…almost as if they had been bitten off.

"Lar…larvitar." Came the nervous voice of Larvitar who was backing off a few steps.

That pretty much confirmed Ash's suspicions as he too started backing away.

"Pssy…"

Ash felt his skin crawl as that particular drone like voice reached his ears. He looked at the water type who was eyeing the boulders with curiosity. A curiosity that was like a small spark in what was potentially an extremely volatile situation.

His fears came true when a stream of pressurized water was released from Psyduck's mouth and hit a spot on the pile of boulders with splashes of water hitting many of the surrounding large rocks too.

The rocks seemingly coming to life, shifted and turned until about seven Onix were staring at them with particularly enraged looks given that rock and ground types absolutely detested water. Ash calmly returned Psyduck and Larvitar into their Poké Balls both of whom did not resist. His calm demeanor vanished a few moments later as he channeled as much Muladhara as he could into his body. Adrenline began pumping heavily through his blood. He then broke into a sprint in the opposite direction with a fearful look on his face.

The Onix roared and gave chase.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

* * *

A man with shoulder length silver colored hair, shrewd blue eyes, and quite a fierce looking face laced with a triple claw mark scar across it, gazed at the numerous files in front of him. He wore a dark blue outfit with several white outlines and was neatly kept. The dark blue – nearly black pants went well with the outfit. The office was quite plain as there was nothing on the walls except for one picture of the Cameron Palace.

He touched a button on his desk near him and spoke into the speaker under it. "Send Raziel in here."

"Yes sir." Came a reply of a female voice on the other end.

A few seconds later the air in front of the desk became distorted before a man with black hair in a black outfit with white outlines similar to the silver-haired man's own appeared.

"What are your orders?" he said, getting on his knees.

"You are to go to Mt. Moon and assist Team Rocket in their objective of obtaining the Moon Stone. Get rid of anyone who gets in their way but you are not to assist them with anything else. Make sure to collect the full payment once the job is done."

"Understood."

The man disappeared in the same distortion of air, leaving the silver-haired man to get up and look out the large set of windows behind him giving a great view of a vast forest and lake in the distance. His eyes scanned the area and became seemingly lost in nature's beauty but his eyes held a tired yet determined look in his eyes.

* * *

**With Ash**

* * *

Collapsing on the ground, Ash took in deep breaths of air to fill his oxygen starved lungs while Larvitar and Psyduck came out of their Poké Balls.

"Larvitar! Tar!" Larvitar said from beside Ash's head in a worried tone.

"D-D-Don't…worry…about me…Larvitar. I'm…fine." Ash wheezed out in between breaths.

Larvitar turned to Psyduck with an angry look in his eyes. "LARVITAR! LAR LAR!"

"Psy?"

"LAR!" Larvitar shouted in sheer anger at once again placing Ash's life in danger. They had been particularly safe inside their Poké Balls but Larvitar had been more then ready to come out and defend his trainer should it come to that but it never had.

"Please don't fight Larvitar. I'm sure Psyduck didn't mean any harm. Plus, we made it out alive, didn't we? Although we are going to have to work on you wanting to attack anything that catches your eye Psyduck."

"Psy?" Psyduck titled her head.

"Grr…" Larvitar growled not understanding the water type nor how his trainer was so calm with how Psyduck placed them in jeopardy.

"Well on the bright side, we managed to get out of the canyon." Said Ash, wanting to diffuse the tense situation. He had run his absolute fastest at around forty miles per hour with Muladhara and adrenaline pumping through this body. He had glanced at the Smart Gear every few moments or so to head in the correct direction along with diving to the side occasionally to dodge the incoming Onix's. He had run into a few more Onix along the way and by the time he had finally managed to get away from the rock-ground types, he was at the edge of the canyon, most likely as a cause of running at such intense speeds for over an hour. He covered a journey of a few days of walking within an hour although it usually takes days since people tend to get lost in the maze-like canyons.

Once Ash managed to finally calm his racing heart and relax, tiredness filled his body due to the intensity and length of time which he had ran. "Let's just relax here, for a couple hours. We'll then try to find a water source and set up camp there."

After a couple of hours of resting on the soft grass, Ash and company began moving again. They walked through the forest and with the help of the Smart Gear, traveled in a single direction that was the shortest distance from them to Pewter City.

Around an hour into their travels, Ash saw that Larvitar was still glancing at Psyduck with an annoyed look. He sighed, "Come on Larvitar, you can't still be mad at Psyduck. She probably didn't even know those were Onix's. I mean you could easily sense them since you're a rock and ground type. She's a water type and very curious. It was an honest mistake."

Larvitar looked at his trainer in the eye and nodded. "Lar."

Ash smiled glad that his starter let it go. Psyduck looked at the exchange with a stare but with curiosity and internally, affirmation that she chose the correct two-legged creature as her companion.

Satisfied the issue was pretty much resolved, they began walking until they eventually encountered a boy with red shorts and a green shirt with a backpack, no doubt a trainer given the Poké Balls clipped to his backpack straps.

"Hey you! Want to have a battle?" the guy asked.

Ash looked at Larvitar who nodded and Psyduck who simply stared. "Sure. One on one?"

"Got it."

Ash then backed up a few meters before standing confidently. He saw that they were in the forest and hence there was not much ground for movement but the trees were good hiding places.

"So, what's your name?"

"Keith. What about you?"

"Ash."

"Well, get ready to get your butt kicked Ash."

"Its you whose butt is going to get kicked…no whacked! Let's go Larvitar!"

"LAR!" The rock-ground type shouted as he stood battle-ready in front of Ash with a fierce, determined look in his eyes.

"Woah. What Pokémon is that?" Keith said as he took out his Pokédex and absorbed the information he learned about the rock-ground type. "I doubt your Larvitar is any match for my Pokémon. Let's go Charmander!"

The red lizard like Pokémon with a flame at the tip of its tail appeared in front of Keith and gave a small roar but both Larvitar and Ash remained completely unfazed by the intimidation effect.

"You can have the first move." Ash offered.

"You're going to regret that! Charmander use Ember!"

"Dodge it and use Dragon Dance!"

Larvitar jumped to the side evading the thin stream of flames before being surrounded by wisps of black and red energy as his muscles became flooded with power but also become tense under the strain. Nothing the gutsy rock-ground type could not handle.

"Charmander hurry and use Metal Claw!"

"Counter that with Power-Up Punch!" Ash ordered. 'With Larvitar's power and speed boost, he should be able to easily overpower that attack. Plus, the fighting type attack has the type advantage over the steel type attack.' He thought in a blink of an eye.

Larvitar ran forward as his right arm glowed white while surrounded by a red glow, while Charmander charged with silver colored energy surrounding one of his arms, taking the form of vicious curved claws.

The two attacks collided but as Ash had suspected, Larvitar's charged up strength, speed combined with his body weight, the Charmander was sent crashing into a tree.

"Charmander!"

As Keith ran towards his unconscious Pokémon that was now on the ground, Ash praised his partner. "Great job Larvitar. That was an awesome battle."

"Lar, Larvitar!" The rock-ground type bumped his fist against his chest, pride filling him although he was disappointed by the lack of a challenge that battle presented.

Ash then got up and walked towards Keith who was holding the fallen Charmander.

"How is he?" Ash asked in a kind tone.

Keith was a bit taken back by the kindness in his opponent's voice since he had expected him to gloat about being too weak or needing more training or both. The last trainer he faced and lost too certainly did so and in an extremely annoying, arrogant manner that had heavily rubbed his nerves.

"I have to take him to the Pokémon center." Said Keith as he saw the particular bad bruise on the fire-types arm where Larvitar's punch had made contact.

"Here take these." Ash said as he brought out a potion and Oran berry.

"Um…thanks." Keith said, a bit hesitant to take the items but did so since he needed to at least treat his partner for now considering it would take a while to get back to Pewter City.

"No problem. Just treat him and head to the Pokémon center. I'm sure Charmander will be just fine."

"Thanks man. You know, you're a pretty cool guy." Keith replied, genuinely taking a fond liking to Ash.

"Hehe…" Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Now get going."

Keith did so and began walking towards Pewter City while spraying the potion on his Pokémon who was in his arms.

"Well, let's get moving." Ash said looking at Larvitar and Psyduck who nodded in response.

At some point during their walk, Psyduck had begun to wander off in a different direction but thankfully Ash had noticed pretty quickly and were able to find her right away. This had led to them finding a nice small pond that held crystal clear fresh water so Ash decided to set up camp there since his stamina was also reaching its limit from the earlier incident.

Ash had made dinner for the two Pokémon using his mom's cook book but trying out different flavours while he basically ate three meals worth of food his mom had packed for him as a result of his exhaustion. They had ate pretty early and they still had a few hours before it was time to sleep so Larvitar decided to relax while Psyduck swam around in the pond.

Ash took this time to start reading up on starting Manipura and Muladhara specific training.

**_Muladhara [Mula meaning "root" and dhara meaning "support" or "base"]_**

**_Element: Earth, metal and plant manipulation_**

Ash skimmed through the basic explanation of Muladhara and went straight to the basic training section.

**_Basic Training:_**

_Muladhara is by far the easiest layer to train among the seven and is unconsciously used the most by all aura users which is what results in their physical capabilities being above normal human levels. _

_The first stage of learning how to channel Muladhara can be done by simple meditation and focusing on bringing fourth Muladhara by concentrating on the energy that resides in the base of their spine. Doing this outside surrounded by trees and grass makes it easier as it connects one with the energy of nature that surrounds them. Any aura user can accomplish this first form of training and simply doing this everyday for a few minutes will enhance their physical abilities as they will develop a natural instinct to constantly channel Muladhara throughout their body, something that is very unique to this layer._

_The second stage revolves around channeling Muladhara throughout one's entire body and then performing physical activities, more specifically weight training as Muladhara will improve your physical capabilities. Focusing on channeling the energy and training can be difficult but constant practice everyday will heavily improve your abilities. Only when you are able to constantly channel Muladhara subconsciously and do not even need to think about it, should you move on to the advanced training – which is only for those who are primarily or secondarily connected with Muladhara._

There was not much else written for the basic forms of training Muladhara because it simply was that simple for anyone with the ability to bring out their aura. Just relaxing and meditating while focusing on channeling the energy was as easy as it sounded on paper.

Ash was capable of channeling Muladhara when he needed to but not quite at the point where he did it subconsciously. He did channel it during his exercises but not as much as he should have so he knew what he needed to focus in terms of Muladhara training for now.

He then moved onto the Manipura book.

**_Manipura [meaning "lustrous gem"]_**

**_Element: Fire and heat manipulation_**

Ash once again skimmed the basic reiteration of the things he already knew about Manipura given that he had read about it when he had learned what layers he had been connected to.

_Manipura revolves around one's willpower. The stronger one's willpower the more concentrated and denser their Manipura will be, making it much stronger. Manipura abilities revolve around one's control of their aura and shape manipulation. Doing constant aura control and shape manipulation exercises will help in terms of controlling the shape and strength of your constructs made of Manipura._

_When you are able to complete the advance training exercises, you can begin starting the basic Manipura exercises which is simply creating an aura sphere using Manipura. You have to focus on not only creating the shape of the Manipura to create the sphere but you also have to add power and rotation in order to add destructive power to the attack. Adding rotation is accomplished by releasing the stream of Manipura in a rotating form while manipulating the rotating energy to form a sphere. This is harder to do then simply creating the sphere and then adding rotation but it is much quicker and will hold much more power._

_Aura users connected to Manipura should try to add rotation and shape simultaneously as it while improve your skills at shape manipulation and control of Manipura very quickly the more it is practiced which will help immensely to accomplish some of the more advanced Manipura abilities along with creating and controlling fire(and heat) – which is the second most volatile and destructive element behind lightning._

**_Manipura Aura Sphere:_**_ Form a rotating sphere of Manipura by channeling it through your core and into your arms, all the while imagining the attack in your head and using your will to control your Manipura. When you are able to accomplish creating a Manipura Aura Sphere with proper shape and rotation, subsequently high power, you should move onto the more advanced form of shape manipulation and learn basic Manipura abilities._

Ash began looking through the detailed diagrams, showing Manipura traveling through the body and into one's hand, taking in the information as it would be crucial to his training. By the time he was done, he realized that he had been reading for the past hour and that there was still another two hours left before bed time.

That was when a thought struck him regarding his upcoming gym battle. He knew that Brock was a rock type gym leader hence Larvitar's Power-Up Punch and Psyduck's all around attacks would be the key to winning. He needed to get lots of training in before he went and challenged Brock given that his Pokémon only had a day of training. He was nowhere near being close to being able to defeat Brock.

"You two up for some training?" Ash asked gaining the excited attention of Larvitar and a curious look from Psyduck in the pond. "I was thinking about our first gym battle and since we have only been together for a short time, we need to train more to get stronger and to understand each other more."

"Larvitar!"

"Psyduck?"

"Let's start with improving your Power-Up Punch Larvitar. Use the attack on that tree and keep going until you can't or you destroy the tree. Psyduck for now try using your Water Gun attack on that other tree and see if you can put enough force behind it to break it."

"Psy?" The water type simply replied not getting out of the pond.

Ash sighed and simply walked over, taking Psyduck out of the pond considering she was close to the shore. He then proceeded to carefully explain what she needed to do and was happy when Psyduck began doing exactly as told although he could sense it was more of her wanting to see if her attack could pierce the thick trees.

When he was near Larvitar he could see one flaw in his movement when executing his attack. "Hey Larvitar. Don't just use your arm when punching. Use your body, twist your hips when you come in for the punch so you put your whole-body weight behind it to make the attack stronger." Ash explained while demonstrating the basic punching technique everyone in the academy was taught.

Larvitar listened carefully and then proceeded to follow his partner's instructions and was happy to see and feel that he was indeed packing more power in each attack despite it taking just a bit longer to execute.

As the two Pokémon continued their training, Ash decided to get to starting his Muladhara training. He was still a bit tired but something like that had never stopped him from training. Plus, he could not afford to become lazy because he knew being lazy for one meant that you were more likely to be the next day and the day after that.

There were no rocks nearby for any sort of weight training he could so he decided he would try it with the toughest resistance bands in his bag. Taking out a red band from his backpack, Ash wrapped it around his upper back and got into a push-up position with the handles of the band under his arms.

Ash then began channeling Muladhara into his body and felt a large amount of power flowing through his muscles, making him feel like he could do anything. Beginning to do his push-ups, he found that they were still hard to do given the resistance band was providing approximately one hundred-seventy-five-pounds worth of tension. He doubted he would have been able to do these push-ups without Muladhara pumping through his body.

Deciding to test that, he stopped channeling Muladhara and tried to do one push-up. He got about mid-way before the tension of the bands kicked in and he could not go any further. With that theory tested out, Ash began to channel again and managed to squeeze in about thirty reps.

After, going through a bunch of other exercises like squats, bicep curls, etc. while channeling Muladhara, he dropped to the ground breathing heavily from exhaustion. Constantly using Muladhara drained him of his stamina quite a bit but he could feel his muscles aching, no doubt having gotten great stretches due to the strain he put them through.

He then turned his attention to Larvitar and Psyduck who were still training and were showing improvement in using their attacks as seen by the large dents in the thick tree trunks at the point of impact.

"That's enough you two." The two Pokémon stopped and turned to their trainer in confusion - well confusion for Larvitar since Psyduck always seemed confused - considering they had trained longer yesterday. "I was thinking that now we should focus on both of your abilities to dodge attacks."

"Larvitar!"

"Psy?"

"I will be launching small Aura Sphere's at you two however I will be random. You both just have to focus on dodging. Come think of it, Psyduck when you get the chance fire Water Gun at me."

And she did just that. Ash quickly managed to get out of the way before the thin jet stream of water could hit him.

"Not now! I meant when I'm firing Aura Sphere's at you. This will help us both get better at dodging attacks and returning our own fire power. For you Larvitar, we can't really practice returning fire until you learn long range attacks but I'll see if I can find any TM's to teach you some good long-range attacks. See if you can find some opening to close the distance between us. Psyduck do me a favor and not use your full power water gun attack. Even at low power it can still hurt me."

Larvitar nodded but was a bit disappointed since he couldn't participate fully in the training. He swore to himself he would train even harder the next time when he had long range attacks.

"Let's begin!"

Psyduck did not hesitate and immediately fire another Water Gun attack but this one had a lot less power behind it. Ash quickly moved out of the way and began channeling white energy in between his palms, forming it into a sphere before firing it towards Larvitar. Unlike the time during the examination where he used his full power Aura Sphere, this Aura Sphere barely had any power behind it, just enough to keep its shape and form until it reached the target hence taking very little time to make and fire.

Larvitar rolled out of the way from the rather fast attack and began running towards his trainer but was rather slow due to no boost in his attack or speed.

Ash had also instantly begin running, making it difficult for Larvitar to get in close while Psyduck had difficulty aiming for Ash with her Water Gun attack. Ash rapidly fire two Aura Spheres, one heading for Psyduck and the other for Larvitar. Psyduck simply stared at it and let it hit her causing her to get knocked down.

"You're supposed to dodge the attack Psyduck!"

Psyduck simply got off the ground and stared at Ash but he saw a strange glint in her eyes. She quickly launched a Water Gun attack which Ash barely managed to avoid. He then saw Larvitar had taken this opportunity to run towards him, closing the distance considerably but due to the rock-ground type's weight, he was still quite slow.

Ash quickly began running again, this time rapidly firing weak Aura Sphere's in response to Psyduck's rapid Water Gun attacks. This time Psyduck dodged the attacks while aiming but some managed to hit her and Larvitar.

This continued for the next hour or so with both Pokémon and trainer getting tired from running, dodging and attacking non-stop. Ash had seen visible improvement in their ability to dodge his attacks as time went on while Larvitar began to try to predict where Ash would go and run to that location. Psyduck's aim also improved quite a bit as time went on and Ash had to focus a lot more on dodging denying him opportunities for launching his attacks often.

The two Pokémon were currently relaxing on the soft grass in near the tent with Ash working on creating another meal for them since they had burned quite a bit of energy from training. The trainer and Pokémon fell into a deep sleep after they finished eating and Ash did the dishes.

* * *

**A few days later**

* * *

Ash stood around twenty meters away from a girl with shoulder length black hair and black eyes wearing track pants and a gray sweater. He had encountered her just after he had exited the forest, he had been training in for the past few days and also engaging in battles with other trainers and winning, mainly as a result of the experience he gained in Rota Academy.

This was no doubt his sixth or seventh battle and he loved it. The thrill of Pokémon battles made his blood pump and the more intense they were, the more he got into the battle himself as if he was the Pokémon doing the battling. He wished he could battle himself but people battling Pokémon was quite unheard of and only aura users ever attempted something like that and only when it was required. Outside of Rota people battling Pokémon or each other with abilities was practically non-existent unless it was involved in a mission. That made the new training exercise Ash had been using of improving aiming and dodging simultaneously all the more exhilarating.

Shaking his head from the random string of thoughts, Ash focused on the two on two battle that was about to start. The girl he was facing named Haley had recently challenged Brock and lost and wanted to get some training in before challenging him again. She had just sent out a Clefairy which looked quite strong so in response Ash had sent out Psyduck. Thankfully, the water type had been getting better at listening to him when he shouted the attack she needed to use which had been a problem…but not when she was attacking him.

Regardless, Ash was confident in Psyduck's strength and move set.

"You can have the first move." Haley offered.

Ash nodded. "Psyduck, use Water Gun!" Ash always liked to start off with an attack if he had to go first simply to see how his opponents react and think of a way to beat them.

"Dodge it and use Disarming Voice!"

Clefairy jumped sideways in order to dodge the thin jet stream of water but thanks to the training Psyduck had been doing with Ash and Larvitar, she easily noticed Clefairy's movement and turned her head towards Clefairy. The water attack hit dead on sending Clefairy tumbling backwards.

"Clefairy no!"

"Use Confusion and throw it against the tree!" Ash immediately ordered. One of the things they were taught at the academy was to never give your opponent breathing room to get up and think of and perform a counter attack. It was plainly stupid to stand around and do nothing and this fact had been drilled into their heads.

Psyduck's eyes glowed a light blue color causing Clefairy to be outlined in that same color and lifted into the air. Clefairy was then thrown into the trunk of a tree colliding head first, causing serious damage.

"Clefairy!"

"Finish it off with Scratch."

Psyduck ran forward towards Clefairy but when she saw the Pokémon was out cold, she simply stopped dead in her tracks and clutched her head as usual. "Psy?"

Ash looked at Psyduck and then at Clefairy and noticing that the fairy type was unconscious.

Haley recalled her Pokémon feeling both angry that her Pokémon was hurt badly and sad at losing yet another battle right after her loss at the Pewter City gym.

"You haven't won yet! Let's go Spearow!" Haley shouted her frustration getting the better of her.

Ash looked at her and then at Psyduck. "Return Psyduck."

As Ash was raising Psyduck's Poké Ball, he saw a jet stream of water heading towards him. Ash easily jerked out of the way of the attack before simply sighing and looking at Psyduck's blank eyes. This had been a reoccurring theme after every battle Psyduck participated in so at this point it was becoming somewhat of a norm for him. As Psyduck returned into her ball, Ash looked at Larvitar standing by his feet and motioned him to go on forward.

Larvitar nodded and excitedly ran a few meters ahead staring into the angry normal-flying type.

"Use Quick Attack!" Haley ordered the moment she saw Larvitar come onto the battlefield while mainly ignoring the interaction that happened beforehand.

Spearow was surrounded by a thin white aura before he immediately launched forward at blazing speeds. Speeds too high for Larvitar too dodge and as a result was hit however thanks to his very sturdy body, he ended up taking minimal damage. Spearow however, was a whole other story as the flying type had been sent tumbling backwards a bit disoriented from the impact on the rock-hard body.

"Use Dragon Dance!" Ash ordered, relying on what was becoming his and Larvitar's favourite move to use.

Larvitar became surrounded with wisps of black and red energy causing power to flow through his body.

"Double Team into Fury Attack!"

Spearow managed to get back into the air and formed a dozen copies of itself before they all began flying towards Larvitar.

"Hit them back with Power-Up Punch!" Ash quickly responded, although not knowing how to deal with the combination attack since none of the moves in Larvitar's arsenal could deal with multiple opponents or in this case copies.

Larvitar's arm glowed white surrounded by a red aura and he punched the incoming Spearow but his attack simply caused the copy of the Spearow to burst, releasing a small flash of light. Larvitar then tried to punch as many of the oncoming Spearow as he could but he only ended up hitting the copies while the real one managed to get in several strikes amongst the chaos.

Ash saw that this was going nowhere and even with six copies destroyed another six remained. He looked at Larvitar and his gaze went towards the grassy ground his partner stood on. "Use Power-Up Punch on the ground!"

Larvitar although a bit confused, placed his trust in his trainer and followed through. The resulting impact caused some dust and dirt to be launched into the air, hitting the copies causing them all to dissipate.

"Use Pursuit!" Haley quickly ordered not wanting to give the rock-ground type any breathing room.

Spearow became surrounded by a dark veil and flew quickly towards Larvitar.

"End it." Ash simply stated seeing Larvitar was still using his fighting type move.

Unfortunately for the normal-flying type, Larvitar's use of Dragon Dance allowed him to react fast enough and managed to counter the dark type move with Power-Up Punch. Thanks to the type advantage and the numerous power boosts he got from Dragon Dance and Power-Up Punch, Spearow was knocked out cold from the moment of impact.

"Spearow!" Haley shouted as she ran towards her fallen Pokémon and quickly recalled him, thanking him for a good hard-fought battle.

"That was a great battle." Ash said as he walked over after congratulating his partner.

"It was." She said, standing up and putting her hand forward. Ash smiled and shook her hand, glad at the good sportsmanship.

"Do you need any potions or berries to heal your Pokémon?"

"Its ok. I stocked up on supplies before coming here to train. I'm going to treat them soon. Well see you around. Maybe we can battle again someday."

"Yeah. That would be awesome."

With that said the two trainers parted their ways with Larvitar happily following and Psyduck deciding to pop out of her Poké Ball right onto Ash's head.

"Psy?"

* * *

**A few hours later**

* * *

Ash made his way through the quiet streets of Pewter City, heading towards the Pokémon center with both of his Pokémon resting in their balls and they were already informed that they would be given to the Nurse in the center to be healed.

There were not that many people on the streets since it was getting dark and Pewter City was known to have a low population. He soon arrived at the red-roofed building and walked inside, instantly noticing that there was a small group of trainers in the lobby either chatting or just relaxing and watching the T.V displaying the news. He walked over to the front desk where Nurse Joy, a woman with dark pink hair in the form of two circular pig-tails and front bangs, wearing a white knee-length dress and a nurse hat with a red cross, sat alongside her helper Chansey.

"Hello and welcome to the Pokémon center. How can I help you?"

"Hi Nurse Joy. Can you take a look at my Pokémon please?" Said Ash as he handed over his Harmonic Balls.

Nurse Joy was a bit surprised upon seeing the oddly colored blue Poké Balls but upon seeing the Cameron Palace symbol on them a happy smile came on her face. "You're an aura user." Ash nodded. "I'd be happy to look after your Pokémon. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I would like to register for the Indigo League and have a room for the night."

"I see. Can I have your Pokédex." Ash handed it to Nurse Joy who inserted it into a slot on her computer. A minute later she took it out and handed it back to Ash along with a card. "Your all registered for this years Indigo League. It will be taking place in ten months. And your room is 2B. Come here in an hour to get your Pokémon."

Ash nodded and gave his thanks before and walked down a hallway and up a set of stairs towards his room. He took a nice long hot shower to get rid of the stench from traveling for a week before het set his backpack in the small room and made his way down the cafeteria and paying for standard meal. The soup, salad, rice and curry tasted decent but nowhere near his mom's level of cooking. While he was eating, he began to think of his upcoming gym battle tomorrow.

'Psyduck will have a very good chance at winning with Water Gun and Hypnosis but I can't let any of Brock's Pokémon get in close since she can't handle direct attacks that well. For Larvitar…Dragon Dance and Power-Up Punch will be the moves I have to use the most to get past their high defense.' Ash thought as he brought out his Smart Gear and went to a trainer app that provided detailed info of all the gyms in Kanto. Based on it, Brock mostly used and Geodude and an Onix for battling beginners while having a Rhydon and Golem for more advanced trainers.

He knew he would most likely use Larvitar against Geodude and Psyduck for Onix and had a basic strategy in mind on how to go about the battle. According to the Smart Gear, Brock relied on defense boosting attacks and using the rock type field to his advantage in order to counter type weakness which was something to keep in mind.

Once he was done eating, he placed the dishes in a tray at the counter and washed his hands before making his way to the lobby seeing that there was still fifteen minutes before he was supposed to go to the front desk to get his Pokémon.

There were around five trainers in the lobby, three boys and two girls chatting away. Ash simply decided to sit down on one of the many sofa's in the lobby and look at the T.V in order to kill time.

It was around a few minutes in when a boy around his age with brown hair and black eyes with a Pikachu hanging over his shoulders approached him. He wore an open green jacket and green travel pants with small white outlines along with a yellow and blue colored hat and fingerless gloves.

"Hey I was wondering if you battled Brock yet?"

"Not yet. I'm going to battle him tomorrow."

"Aw man. I was hoping you could give me tips. My name's Ritchie by the way and this is Sparky."

"Pika pi!"

"My name's Ash." He shaking his fellow trainer's hand.

"So, how many badges do you have?" Ritchie asked.

"None. This is going to be my first gym."

"Hey, same here! So, how long have you been a trainer for?"

"About a week. How about you?"

"Around two weeks. I spent a lot of time training in Viridian Forest before coming here. I just hope I'm strong enough to beat Brock since I heard a lot of trainers have been losing to him lately."

"As long as you believe in your Pokémon, I'm sure you'll win. Even if you don't you can always train and try again. The Pokémon league is still ten months away so we have plenty of time to get the badges." Ash said.

"Yeah."

**[Ash Ketchum! Please come to the front desk to pick up your Pokémon.]**

"Well time for me to go."

"Ok. See ya."

Ash made his way towards the front desk where he saw Nurse Joy waiting for him along with a tray with two Harmonic Balls.

"Your Pokémon are all healed up. Just make sure they get a good night's rest since they seemed a bit exhausted."

"Yeah. We've been training a lot in the past seven days. I'll make sure they get some rest." Ash said before taking his Pokémon and heading towards his room to get to sleep and let his Pokémon out.

Once he made into his room, he got settled into the bottom bed of the bunk bed while Larvitar and Psyduck came out of their Poké Balls.

"Larvitar."

"Psy?"

"Get some rest you two." Ash said pointing to the prepared bed the rooms had for the smaller Pokémon. "Tomorrow's our first gym battle. I can't wait for it!" Ash said in excitement.

"Lar! Larvitar lar lar!" The rock-ground type also said enthusiastically.

"Pssssy…" Psyduck found herself too entranced staring at the moon and bright stars she could see through the window to care.

'I'm going to beat Brock, and then every other Gym Leader. I'll become a Templar. I'll become the very best…' Ash thought to himself before slowly drifting off to sleep with his Pokémon doing the same.

* * *

**At midnight, deep in the forest east of Pewter City**

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way Jess? We have been walking for the past hour."

"I know this is the right way! Look it's right here on the map!"

A small cat like Pokémon walking on its two legs which had huge feet sighed. The cat used his paws to rub his temple on top of which lay a gold charm while his curled tail twitched.

"Will youse two cut it out! Let me see that map!"

The feline grabbed the map out of the woman's hand. She had blue eyes and vermillion hair that was quite shiny suggesting excessive use of hair products that caused it to stay in one shape jutting backwards, down at an angle while curling at the end. The woman wore a white mid-thigh length skirt with knee-high black boots, a white mid-drift cut top – exposing her belly – which had a giant red 'R' on it, a black blouse underneath it and elbow long black gloves. This was Jessie.

"Hey give me that!" The woman shouted trying to swipe the map but the feline managed to jump backwards and dodge it.

"You have been reading this upside down!" The cat Pokémon shouted in anger.

"What!? Let me see that?!" The woman snatched the map and looked through it more carefully and realized her mistake. "Mybad…" she said with a blush of embarrassment.

"Maybe we should let Meowth do the map reading from now on." The man, named James said. He had shoulder length blue hair, green eyes and wore a similar outfit as the woman except his consisted of pants and a shirt with the same giant red 'R'.

"Hurry up you two!" Meowth said as he already began walking in the right direction.

The other two quickly chased behind the Pokémon to catch up.

"This is one of the first big assignment we've gotten from headquarters. We can't mess this up! How are we going to impress the boss if we can't do a single mission?" Meowth asked.

"Yes! Its all for the boss! If we do good on this, we may get a promotion!" said a giddy Jessie.

"We can even become executives!" James said causing the other three to get stars in their eyes.

"Then when we get powerful Pokémon, we can show that little silver-haired twerpett what happens to those who mess with Team Rocket." Jessie said gaining an evil glint in her eyes.

The other two cringed at the thought of what would happen to the poor girl when Jessie got her hands on her. They didn't feel as sorry as they should have given how they got beat badly at her hands in Viridian City when they tried to steal the Pokémon from the Pokémon center.

The two backed away slowly when Jessie began to release a rather scary and evil laugh.

* * *

**The next day**

* * *

Ash stood outside of the Pewter City gym just a few minutes after its opening time. He had woken up earlier today to get his aura training in along with some decent exercises using the open field behind the Pokémon center. His Pokémon had gotten a nice warm-up as well so they were more then ready to go for this gym battle and they were currently inside their balls.

The gym design itself was quite unique as it looked like a giant rectangular prism shaped boulder with numerous cracks and a door at the front. Regardless, Ash pushed unlocked doors open and walked inside.

Ash instantly noticed he was in a large room with a battlefield in the dead center that had multiple rocks jutting out of it. There were also numerous railings above for spectators to view gym battles.

Across the battlefield he saw a rather tall guy, seemingly in his late teens with spiky brown-hair wearing a green vest jacket atop a light brown t-shirt and brown pants. Along with a slightly darker skin tone, the guy had seemingly closed eyes yet his attention turned towards him when he had heard Ash's footsteps.

"Can I help you?"

The voice echoed throughout the gym despite Brock not saying it in a loud tone, mainly as a result of how quiet it was.

"I want to challenge Brock to a gym battle."

"I see. Well, I'm Brock and I accept your challenge. However, before that I need to how may badges you have."

"I don't have any. This is my first gym."

"I see. So, you're a rookie?"

"Yes."

"Ok then. It will be a two on two battle and I will be using my Geodude and my Onix." Brock said.

Ash simply nodded his head. It wasn't that surprising to see Brock stating what Pokémon he would be using since it's a tactic that they used to keep newer trainers off balance and raise doubts in them due to the gym leader's sheer confidence. Not to mention all of that information was available on the trainer app or website.

"Forest, I need you to referee this gym battle!" Brock shouted to a guy that seemed to be younger then Ash that was standing on the far side of the gym doing some work.

"Ok, I'll be right there!"

A short while later, Ash and Brock were standing in their respective trainer boxes with Forest, who seemed to be an identical copy of Brock only a bit younger, standing in the referee box at the middle of the battlefield on the side.

"This will be a two on two battle between challenger Ash Ketchum and Pewter City Gym Leader Brock. The gym leader will not be allowed any substitutions but the challenger may change their Pokémon whenever he wishes. The challenger will have the first move. Send out your Pokémon and let the battle begin!"

"Let's go Geodude!"

Ash didn't even need to through his Poké Ball as Larvitar burst out.

"Larvitar!" The rock-ground type roared.

"Use Dragon Dance!"

Larvitar became surrounded with wisps of black and red energy, getting powered up.

"Defense Curl into Rollout!" Brock commanded.

'Let's see how you deal with this Ash.' Thought Brock since this combo always ended up taking rookie challengers out quite quickly given that they weren't able to handle the sheer force behind the attack especially when Geodude built up momentum.

"Power-Up Punch!"

Larvitar's right arm glowed as he stood sideways intending to use his whole body weight behind the punch like Ash had showed him. When the two attacks met on the middle of the battlefield, Larvitar prevailed and sent Geodude rolling backwards into a large rock causing chunks of it to break and fall.

'Wow that Larvitar is quite strong. To be able to get past Geodude's defense and power like that.' Brock thought before giving his command. "Use Rock Throw!"

"Dodge it and get in close!"

As Geodude began chucking the chunks of rock that had broken off from the previous impact, Larvitar began running towards his opponent in a zig-zag patter in order to avoid the rocks coming at him.

'Just a bit more…' Ash thought. When he saw that Larvitar reached Geodude, he reacted. "End it with Power-Up Punch."

Larvitar took a leap into the air and brought down his glowing arm that pulsed with immense power onto Geodude's head.

"Roll to the right."

Geodude did so and narrowly avoided the attack which had caused dust and rocks to be blown into the air.

"Body Slam into Power-Up Punch!" Ash instantly said with an excited grin.

Out of the small dust cloud, Larvitar burst forward ramming into Geodude sending him flying into another large rock but this one not breaking from the impact. Using his speed Larvitar ran forward, nailing Power-Up Punch onto his opponent causing cracks to appear on the large boulder. Brock's shout to dodge it fell on deaf ears.

When Larvitar stepped away from Geodude, it was easy to see the rock-ground type was knocked out cold.

"Geodude is unable to battle! Larvitar wins! Will the gym leader send out their next Pokémon!" Forest said although his tone was a bit anxious given the immense strength Larvitar displayed to throw Geodude around.

"Return Geodude. Great work. I'm proud of you." He put the shrunken Poké Ball into his vest pocket and turned his attention towards Ash who was celebrating with his Larvitar.

"Great work Larvitar! You were awesome out there!"

"Lar! Larvitar! Lar Lar! Vitar!" Larvitar said while bumping his chest happy at his victory.

"You and your Larvitar are quite strong. To be able to react that quickly, I can tell you both have trained a lot and are quite close." Brock said.

"Thanks. Larvitar is my first Pokémon and partner!" Ash said with a grin while Larvitar once again bumped his chest.

"That said, don't think you've won yet. I choose you Onix!"

Larvitar let loose a growl upon seeing another Onix. He grew a bit frustrated with them given the events in the canyon.

"Come on back Larvitar." The rock-ground type gave a reluctant nod despite wanting to battle the Onix. "Let's go Psyduck!"

"Psy?" The water type gazed at the giant Rock Snake Pokémon after coming out of her Poké Ball.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Start this off with Water Gun!"

Psyduck let loose a powerful jet stream of water towards the face of the Onix.

Brock smirked. "Block it with Iron Tail."

Less then half of Onix's bottom half glowed white before turning a metallic silver color. The rock-ground type then brought it front of him, easily block the stream of water, not causing any damage at all. Onix then proceeded to bring the Iron Tail down towards Psyduck.

"Dodge it!"

Psyduck did so however the sheer size of Onix's tail and the power behind it clipped Psyduck and sent the water type side-ways into a rock.

"No Psyduck!" Ash shouted in worry.

Psyduck simply got up and clutched her head and gave Onix a drone like stare seemingly unaffected by the large bruise on her back.

'If that attack had connected then Psyduck would have been out cold…even hurt badly. I can't let her be hit again. Water Gun won't work unless she can get a clean shot.' Ash thought as he decided on the next attack. "Use Hypnosis!"

Brock's eyes widened. "Iron Tail on the ground!"

As Psyduck's eyes glowed a bright pink while she gazed at Onix, the rock-ground type smacked his metallic tail onto the ground causing a large dust cloud to envelop the field.

'No! Hypnosis can't work if Psyduck can't see her target.'

The dust cloud quickly dissipated but when it did the giant Rock Snake Pokémon was nowhere to be found.

'Where did he go?' Ash thought as he scanned the battlefield quickly noticing the large hole where Onix used to be.

"Psyduck und…!" Ash didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Onix burst out of the ground under Psyduck sending the water-type flying into the air before crashing back to the ground.

"Psyduck is unable to battle! Onix wins! Challenger, send out your last Pokémon!"

Ash recalled Psyduck and gazed at her Poké Ball. "You did a great job Psyduck. I'm proud of you. Take a nice long rest."

He then looked at Larvitar who had a worried look but that was soon placed with a confident one as he went onto the battlefield, intending to defeat the opponent his fellow Pokémon could not.

Ash looked at the Onix with a slightly nervous look, realizing just how powerful it was. This battle was beginning to remind him of his loss against Kace a week ago. He had been sure he would win at first but now…it seemed…

"LARVITAR! LAR!" Larvitar shouted at Ash feeling his doubts coming through their aura bond.

Ash looked at the rock-ground type who had an angry look on his face. He smiled at his partner easily understand what he was trying to say. "Sorry about that Larvitar."

"Lar! Vitar Lar Lar!"

Ash nodded and looked back Onix with a determined look in his eyes while his mom's words rang at the back of his head. Pokémon can tell when their trainer is nervous with or without the bond. He couldn't afford to be nervous. He had to be confident and believe in his Pokémon.

Brock smiled at the connection between Ash and his Pokémon. He was already more then worthy of the gym badge in his eyes compared to many of the other rookie trainers that came to his gym. They always blamed their Pokémon for the loss.

"Let's do this Larvitar!"

"Lar!"

"Use Dragon Dance!"

"I don't think so! Use Iron Tail!"

Despite Onix quickly responding to the command and whipping his metallic tail down towards Larvitar, the constant practice of using Dragon Dance allowed him to perform the move and use the enhanced speed to narrowly jump out of the way, his body weight protecting him from being blown away from the Iron Tail's impact with the ground.

"Use Dragon Dance again!"

Larvitar once again became surrounded with wisps of black and red energy, growing stronger and faster.

'I have to get Larvitar as strong as possible for him to stand a chance at taking Onix down. Onix's main weakness is his head so if Larvitar can land a Power-Up Punch there, then its game over.'

"Trap Larvitar with Rock Tomb!"

Onix became surrounded with a brown aura before large ovular shaped rocks jutted out of the ground around Larvitar. The rock-ground type tried to dodge them but whenever he ran in one direction a rock came out in front of him until he was effectively trapped.

"Break out with Power-Up Punch! Focus on a single rock!"

Larvitar began to pummel one of the rocks surrounding him with the fighting type move with each strike causing more and more cracks to appear on it.

"Use Iron Tail and end it!"

Onix roared before bringing down his metallic glowing tail down onto the large rocks intending to crush Larvitar. However, just before the attack connected, Larvitar managed to break free and dodge the steel type move.

Seeing the middle part of Onix's body right beside him, Larvitar used Power-Up Punch right at it, causing Onix to roar in pain.

"Hurry and use Wrap!"

Onix managed to recover his senses fast enough to coil his body around Larvitar effectively locking him in place and squeezing hard causing him to cry out in pain.

"Larvitar no!" Ash shouted in worry seeing his partner in pain. 'Larvitar doesn't know any long range attacks he could use to hit Onix and weaken his grip. What can I do to?'

"Give up Ash. There is no way your Larvitar can break free from Onix's grip." Brock said knowing the battle was over. He also wanted to see what kind of a trainer Ash was. Would he continue the battle and let Larvitar be knocked unconscious or would he accept defeat and prevent any further pain from befalling the rock-ground type.

'I…I have to give in…I can't let Larvitar be hurt anymore…' Ash thought as he watched Larvitar cry out in pain as Onix squeezed harder.

"Alright! I give…"

"L-LARVITAR! L-LAR…VITAR!" Larvitar shouted through the pain knowing what his trainer was about to do and stopping him.

"But Larvitar…"

"LAR…VITAR!" Larvitar didn't say anymore as he began using Dragon Dance focusing on increasing his power more and more. This was a matter of not only his pride as a rock-ground type but also it was not in his nature to give up. He would keep fighting until he couldn't any longer. Defeat was never an option in his eyes. The image of his partner training until he dropped from exhaustion fueling his will further.

"L-L-L-LAR…VI…TAR!" Larvitar shouted, using his new found strength to push against Onix's grip just enough for him to fall through and escape.

"No way!" Brock said in shock and Onix was much the same. Even larger Pokémon failed to overcome his strength and break free of Wrap.

"Larvitar…" Ash said astounded by his strength before a small amount of regret came to the back of his mind for doubting his partner. "That was awesome Larvitar!"

"Lar…Larvitar."

Larvitar was panting heavily while his vision was becoming blurry due to the sheer amount of power pumping through his muscles and how much energy it took just to break free of Onix's grip.

"Wow…" Brock said astounded with Larvitar's will power. "End this with Tackle." Brock knew Larvitar would not back down…not with that look in his eyes. So, he decided its best he end it before Larvitar pushed himself too far.

Onix rushed towards Larvitar, intending to ram his head into him.

"Use Power-Up Punch Larvitar! I know you can do it!"

Hearing his partner's words, Larvitar's arm began glowing white surrounded by a crimson red veil. Despite his vision being a bit hazy, he could make out Onix coming towards him. Twisting his body, Larvitar waited before punching forward using his entire body right when Onix was an inch away. The resulting impact kicked up a lot of dust and Onix ended up sliding forward near the barrier around the battlefield. When the dust settled, Larvitar was standing in front of the unconscious Onix.

"O-Onix is u…" Larvitar then fell backwards, knocked out cold. "Both Onix and Larvitar are unable to battle! This match is a draw!" Forest said.

Ash rushed over to his partner and picked him up in his arms with a happy smile. "That was amazing Larvitar. Just amazing." He then turned towards Brock who was patting Onix on the head before recalling him. "Thank you for the battle."

Ash then rushed out of the gym, heading straight towards the Pokémon center.

"Hey wait!" Brock shouted but Ash didn't hear him.

"That was some battle…" Forest said as he walked over to his big brother.

"Yes, it was. He seems to be quite a good trainer. Not to mention how much he seems to care about his Pokémon." Brock said with a smile.

"That's one heck of a Larvitar eh Brock?"

Brock's eyes widened as he recognized that voice. Turning around he saw a man wearing a red heat that covered his head and eyes but when he removed it, Brock saw it was none other then his dad who had left to become a better trainer.

* * *

**A few hours later**

* * *

Sitting beside his sleeping Pokémon, Ash sat with a contemplative look on his face. He knew his Pokémon battled with all their strength in the gym battle but he felt he was the reason behind them not achieving victory.

'Maybe if I changed what attacks they used? Or reacted more quickly? Why didn't I believe in Larvitar? I should have trusted his strength. Is that why Psyduck lost? Because I didn't believe in her.'

_"You are only defeated when you let the defeat get to you and you don't learn from it."_

His mom's words rang in his ear. This was not a defeat. This had been a draw. But even in the draw Ash had seen Larvitar's determination and the sheer strength he carried inside of him. Not to mention that Psyduck battled valiantly as well and did not show any fear when facing the Onix – although he doubted the airheaded water type feared any Pokémon – nor did she back down from the fight.

He learned that they held a lot of strength and potential. He learned that he had a lot more training to do if he was going to not only defeat the eight main gym leaders of Kanto but also do well in the Indigo League. He had to train harder and bring out the limitless potential that lied within his Pokémon just waiting to be utilized.

Ash smiled at the two with renewed determination and will. This was not defeat. He would just need to train hard and try again.

A few moments later a thought ran through his had that caused his face to lose color.

Running to his bag he grabbed his Smart Gear before running out of the room and dialing his mom's number.

"H-Hey mom." Ash said nervously as he held up the phone for the video call and saw his mother's angry yet worried face.

"What took you so long to call me Ash? I have been worried sick! I tried to call you but it wouldn't connect with you!"

"Sorry about that. I don't think there is some interference in Onix Canyon and there was no cell signal in the large forest afterward. I just got here yesterday night." Ash said nervously, trying to calm his mom down.

"You could have called me right away when you got to Pewter City. I was so worried about you."

"Its ok mom you don't have to worry. I can take care of myself and I have my Pokémon with me."

"It's a mom's job to worry Ash. Just wait when you have kids. You'll know what it means to worry all the time about your children."

"That's a long time away." Ash deadpanned.

"So, how did your gym battle go?" Delia asked.

Although a bit sad over not winning, Ash knew better then to whine over it. He gave his mom a determined expression with fire blazing in his eyes. "The match ended in a draw but I'm going to train hard with my Pokémon and challenge the gym again! There is nothing that will stop me from becoming the greatest trainer ever!"

"That's my Ash. Keep chasing your dream and you'll reach it in no time." Delia said, very happy he wasn't blaming himself for this draw like how he blamed himself for his defeat with Kace. Ash always wanted to be the best but being on this journey was helping him understand that the road to such a dream is filled with lots of defeats that you need to learn from. "Just remember that defeats are just as if not more important then victories. You learn from defeats and grow after which you can obtain victories. Without defeat there is no such thing as victory." Something your father always said to me.

Ash got stars in his eyes hearing something else about his hero. "Thanks mom!"

Delia gave him a smile. "No problem Ash. So, what are you going to do now?"

"Train in forests near Pewter City and then challenge Brock again."

"I see. Goodluck Ash."

"Thanks mom. I'll call you again soon!"

"You better. Bye."

"Bye."

After hanging up, Ash walked back into the room and sat beside his Pokémon, feeling a lot more-light hearted after his conversation with his mom. 'Defeats are just as if not more important then victories…I don't understand it that much but I think I know why you say that dad.'

It was a short while later he heard someone coming into the room. When he turned he saw that it was none other then Brock.

"Brock. What are you doing here?"

"Well I came to do a few things actually. My Pokémon needed to be healed and get some rest after that intense battle you and your Pokémon put them through."

"Are they alright?" Ash asked a bit worried that they have been badly injured.

"They're fine." Said Brock but a bit surprised at the concern he was showing over his Pokémon. "The very beautiful Nurse Joy said they just need some rest in the healing machine and they'll be back to normal in no time at all."

"That's good."

"How are your Pokémon?" Brock asked seeing Psyduck was almost looking like a mummy while Larvitar's arm was heavily bandaged.

"Psyduck was pretty banged up but Nurse Joy said she should make a full recovery in a day since she just suffered from bruises. Larvitar's arm was pretty hurt but after a day or two of complete rest, he should be back on his feet."

"That's good to hear. Sorry about putting your Pokémon through that."

"It's alright. Once they are feeling better, we're going to train harder and be back for that badge so don't get too attached to it." Ash said in a determined voice.

"That's actually one of the reasons why I'm here. Here…" Brock handed Ash a octagonal shaped pin that was gray in color. "The boulder badge."

"Huh? But why?"

"Gym leaders are able to decide who gets a badge and who doesn't. If you won the battle and I thought you weren't worthy of it then I wouldn't have to give it to you. Not all gym leaders follow this and just give the badge away to the challenger if they win, but I feel like you need to earn the badge and what it entails. And you definitely earned it in my book. You showed that you cared more about your Pokémon then you did your victory when you were ready to give up to save Larvitar. That's all I needed to see."

Ash took the gym badge in his hand and smiled. This was his Pokémon's effort and they deserved it for all the hard work they put in for the battle.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Anyways, there is one last thing I wanted to talk to you about. You see my…father just returned from a training trip and he will be the one in charge of the gym from now on. I always wanted to go on a journey to become a world's greatest breeder but being in charge of a gym and having to take care of my nine siblings, I couldn't do that."

"Nine!?" Ash said in shock.

Brock simply nodded since this is not the first time someone had been surprised by how many brothers and sisters he had. "Yeah. Anyways, now I want to go on a journey and I was wondering if I can come with you if you don't mind."

"Why do you want to travel with me?" Ash asked a bit confused and surprised at the request.

"Well other then the fact that you are a talented trainer and different compared to all of the other beginner's I have battled, traveling with someone might be fun and you're the only one I can ask at the moment." Brock explained.

Ash thought about it for a second. Have someone, especially a former gym leader around would be very helpful plus he seemed to be a decent guy.

"Sure."

"Great. I'll meet you here in a day. Hopefully your Pokémon will be all healed by then."

"Ok."

Brock then left the room leaving Ash to his thoughts.

* * *

**A day later**

* * *

Once Larvitar and Psyduck had woken up, Ash had proceeded to explain what had happened between him and Brock and the two, mainly Larvitar, were surprised that they managed to get the gym badge and despite the draw, the two did become happy upon hearing the praise from their trainer. Well Larvitar looked happy at any rate. It was hard to tell with Psyduck but their bond told Ash what he needed to know.

Afterwards, the two spent the day slowly recovering with Ash making some good Pokémon food for them using the Pokémon center's kitchen. He contacted his mom again and updated her on everything and told her that they may be out of cell range when they reach Mt. Moon but he would call her as soon as he could.

With that said, Ash had some free time on his hand as his Pokémon had been fast asleep in their hospital beds. He had long since finished his aura training out of sight at the back of the Pokémon center and was progressing quite well in using his Muladhara but was still having problems with creating an Aura Sphere using Manipura. His aura control and shape manipulation exercises were improving everyday slightly.

Out of boredom Ash had asked Nurse Joy on something to do to pass the time and she suggested that he visit the local museum as there were many amazing fossils and artifacts to see there. Given what he knew about the history of the Pokémon world, he wanted to see how many others viewed it and the gaps that lied within it.

So, he had made his way to the museum paying the small entry fee and began looking around. He found several different fossils on display along with a few exhibits of ancient Pokémon bones. There were also some tablets that were said to date back to the time of Pokélantis but not much else was known and the language on the tablet had not been deciphered.

Afterwards, he more or less spent the day at the Pokémon center by his Pokémon's side. The next day, Nurse Joy had given them a clean bill of health although told Ash to let them relax for one more day to prevent any further injury. Around the afternoon, he had packed all his stuff and met with Brock outside the Pokémon center who had gotten ready for the adventure ahead, carrying quite a large backpack.

The two and Larvitar had made their way out of the city and began making their way towards Mt. Moon which they could see in the distance due to the massive size while Psyduck stayed inside her ball. They would have to cross it in order to get to Cerulean City so Ash could challenge the gym. He knew about the Sensational Sisters thanks to the Smart Gear but decided to ask Brock for more information.

"Do you have any advice on how to bear the Cerulean City gym?"

"Well they mainly use water type Pokémon so your Larvitar is already at a huge disadvantage…"

"Larrr…" Larvitar growled.

"I don't mean it in a bad way Larvitar but water types do have a big advantage over you. Anyways, your only option is Psyduck at this point unless you catch a grass or electric type and train it before we get there." Brock explained. "But man…those Sensational Sisters…they are so beautiful…"

Ash raised an eyebrow at Brock as he began giggling perversely. 'Did I make the right choice in deciding to travel with him…?'

"Thanks for the info…"

Psyduck then appeared out of her Poké Ball onto Ash's head and began looking towards one of the trees in the forest they were walking through. She then fired a Water Gun attack at the leaves of that tree.

"Psyduck, why did you do that?"

"Pssy?"

"Uh…" Brock's face etched into one of fear as he began pointing towards the tree.

Ash noticed this and look to where Brock was pointing causing his own face to lose color.

"RUNNN!" Ash sprinted while recalling Larvitar and Psyduck.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" Brock shouted chasing after Ash.

The horde of Beedrill gave chase.

* * *

**And that's the end of his chapter!**

**Please provide feedback on how the battles are and if I'm doing an ok job on character interactions or not. This is my first fic so not exactly sure so really could use some tips on improvement.**

**I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


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